


Under the New Moon

by Tinywriterfairy



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Slow Burn, Werewolf Courting, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:28:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 58,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22073269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tinywriterfairy/pseuds/Tinywriterfairy
Summary: “As a gesture of our good intentions, we’re sending you to their pack as potential mates for their leaders.”His stomach dropped to the floor.Kunff Prompt #99
Relationships: Moon Taeil/Qian Kun
Comments: 17
Kudos: 200
Collections: kuniversism





	1. Chapter 1

Kun trudged down the street, lugging a basket of herbs for his grandmother. As usual, none of the alphas or betas bothered to pick up any trash they created, and Kun certainly wasn’t going to clean up after any of them. The mated families in this part of town did a decent job of keeping their houses clean, but even they didn’t have much say in what their streets looked like.

He had to sidestep to avoid running into Doyoon walking in the middle of the street. “Watch it, would you?”

Kun tightened his grip on the basket. “My apologies for walking exactly where I’m supposed to walk in the street.”

Doyoon sneered. “How about you don’t talk to me like that, outcast? I’m sure there are plenty of people who’d rather hear from me than you.”

Kun bit his tongue and moved on. He wasn’t worth it. He crossed the street to avoid the subpack coming his way, mostly alphas. This particular set usually had little interest in him, but they were rowdy. They jeered at him from across the street when they noticed him. Kun turned away.

Ten hurried down the street toward him. “There you are!” He spun to hook his arm through Kun’s. “We’re all waiting for you.”

Bless Ten. He might not even have noticed the others across the street, but Kun clung close as they continued down the street. One of the alphas jeered again. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and come with us? We’ll take good care of you,” Jinkyu called.

Ten tensed and turned. “What did you say?”

“It’s not worth it, Ten.” Kun tugged. Did he want to punch each of them? Yes, but he’d rather be far, far away. “Come on.”

Ten huffed, but allowed himself to be pulled away. “Do you need to go straight home?”

“I’m going home, but I can stop somewhere if it doesn’t take too long.”

“Great. Come with me.” Ten dragged him toward omega housing. Mark’s place wasn’t too far from the gate separating the omegas from the other presentations. All the houses were the same, but Mark did his best to keep his light and inviting. He had new flowers in a small vase by the door that complemented the traces of his scent saturated through the house. Kun set his basket next to the flowers and let Ten drag him to the couch. Mark handed him a drink. “Did Ten grab you, too?”

“What, did he drag you into your own house?” Kun relaxed into the couch.

Mark shook his head. “Jaehyun.”

Kun nodded slowly. “And why are you dragging people into Mark’s house, Ten?” Jaehyun wandered back into the room before he could ask about that next.

Ten shrugged. He perched on the arm of the couch behind Mark. “You don’t live here, my house needs cleaning, and Jaehyun never wants to be home.”

Jaehyun nudged Kun over until he could sit between him and Mark. “It’s true. I spend more time at Ten’s place than mine.”

Kun hummed. “Makes sense, it was practically yours for a while after they started calling us outcasts.”

“What happened to you?” Jaehyun leaned toward Mark. “You hate that word.”

Kun shrugged. “Just the usual. Doyoon thinks I should be walking at the very edge of the street and I had to keep Ten from running across the street at some alphas.”

Mark played with his glass. “Because of course we can’t be allowed to use the streets like normal people.”

“No,” Ten wrapped his arms around Mark’s shoulders from behind, “we might infect someone.” He pretended to bite Mark’s ear. Mark whined.

“I don’t get it.” Jaehyun slumped back into Kun’s side. “It’s not like we had presented when everyone was sick. Why are we the only ones who get treated like shit?”

Kun hugged him. “You know it’s because we’re omegas.” Ten growled, but Jaehyun just sighed into Kun’s shoulder. “Let’s talk about something else, yeah?”

They did manage to get Jaehyun’s mood up a bit before Kun had to go home. He made sure to keep the basket covered, as though any of the people he passed would know what he carried. His grandmother sat reading when he came home. Kun set the basket on the counter and moved to sit at her bedside. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright.” Biyu smiled, patting his arm. “I’ve been resting a lot, and Chenle came by to see me earlier. Did you get everything you were looking for?”

“Most of it.” He pointed at the basket. “It’s gathering tomorrow, so they’re not going to miss a few herbs. I’ll get the rest when we do go out.”

“Good. I’ll talk you through the salve tomorrow, then.”

“I wish Yoona would show me some actual things to do,” he muttered. She reached for his hair. He let her soothe him before getting up to put the herbs away. “I just think it’s stupid.”

She sighed. “It is stupid to deny my grandson a full healer position because of his presentation, but the best alternative is what we’re doing.”

“I know.” He put the basket under the counter. “It’s not your fault.” He couldn’t even wish things were different, if it meant Biyu giving him lessons. She coughed again, and he brought her the medicine Yoona refused to let him make. She drank it. He set aside the glass while she lay back in bed.

“You keep that in mind, alright?” She patted his hand again. “Remember, when I’m gone, you need to prioritize yourself. Trust your heart, okay?”

“You’re not going anywhere,” he insisted. “I won’t let it happen.”

She shook her head. “You and the healers can try whatever you want, but you can’t stop time. Take Chenle and go far from here if that’s what you want. Don’t worry so much about me.”

“You’re going to be fine.”

She had to be fine.

***

Kun dragged himself to work the next morning on very little sleep. Despite his best attempts, his grandmother had been up half the night coughing. She had eaten little for breakfast. The healing house stood out in the middle of a more residential street. Ages ago, the healers had managed to convince the pack's council that they needed the widest building in town, built with sturdy logs and thick doors.

Yoona inspected him carefully when Kun arrived. “Are you alive in there?”

Kun forced himself not to frown. He set his bag on the hanger beneath his coat. “My grandmother was up half the night. I think she’s getting worse.”

Yoona’s gaze softened. “That’s terrible to hear. I’ll go check on her this afternoon then. Can you start taking stock?”

Kun nodded and slipped past. Were it up to him, his grandmother wouldn’t need to be checked on, but then again, were it up to him his grandmother wouldn’t be sick. The room where they kept the herbs and tools they worked with was thankfully large and well-kept. He prayed it would stay that way once Yoona passed on their title as head healer to one of the beta apprentices. He retrieved some paper and started down the right wall. Some of the apprentices were perfectly neat, but he could name several he wouldn’t want touching this room with a ten-foot pole, let alone treating his grandmother or other patients.

He moved through the shelf of herbs he could name, could find with his eyes closed, but wasn’t allowed to use. For the thousandth time, Kun cursed his pack and their stupid hierarchy. Kun poked through the leafier shelf first. He arrived earlier than the betas, kept better track of their stock and patients, paid more attention, and stayed longer than necessary to practice. Kun set a bottle of vervain back on its rack after checking the consistency.

Jennie slipped in through the half-open door. She nodded at him as she grabbed her healer’s slip and slipped back out. Jennie was one of the good ones. Kun slid out a tray of lavender to count. If he could never become head healer, he would put his money on her.

Stock was time-consuming, but practically mindless. It left him plenty of time to worry over his grandmother, especially after Yoona stepped in to tell him that they were heading to her house and that he should meet up with the gathering omegas with his stock list when he finished. As though he didn’t already know what his daily routine looked like. He wrapped up quickly and took the list with him as he left the healing house. 

Kun jogged into the forest along the main path. The gatherers hadn’t made it far. He found them at an early fork in the path, Ten and Jaehyun leading the group. They knew to wait for Kun’s list. He made his way over to Ten, handing him the list. “There’s not much today on my end.”

Ten scanned it as Jaehyun handed Kun their list. The other omegas in the group shifted so they wouldn’t have to deal with Kun coming too close. Kun scanned the other list, which mostly was for easy foods like potatoes. “We might get a good break today before dinner.” They traded lists back.

Ten nudged him ahead on the path. “Let’s make sure you can pick Chenle up from classes, then.”

Ten was a good friend. They bustled through the forest space within their territory. The food plants were closest. As most of the group dug into the ground for potatoes, Kun and Jaehyun circled out to scan for the herbs the healers needed. Injuries had been down this month, despite the continued hostilities, so they had managed to save on fresh herbs.

Kun took the basket of fresh herbs back to the healing house. Yoona was still gone, but his routine was always the same. He took the herbs to the back and prepared them. Once the herbs were taken care of, he went to the linen house for another roll of bandages. Only after taking care of the stock did any of the betas let him observe and assist with patients. Kun wrapped wounds, fetched and carried, but never interacted deeply with patients. The alphas tended to be too aggressive with him, especially when wounded, and the others just thought he was too strange to want to be around. Besides, the betas couldn’t let him get too close or he might prove their stupid stereotypes wrong.

When Yoona came back to tell him his grandmother was holding stable, they also let him go. He took his basket with him, keeping the cloth cover over the herbs and bandages he snuck out for his grandmother and emergencies until he was far from the house. Chenle would still be in school, next to the council house. Kun avoided the center of town unless he was picking up Chenle. He sped across town, keeping a brisk pace just under a walking run to make sure he arrived quickly but also to avoid attention. He stood several feet to the side of the parents waiting for their children. Chenle dashed out as soon as the teacher dismissed them. He ran right to Kun, cuddling under his arm. His particular scent, slight spice mixed with the generic scent of an unpresented wolf, wafted a little stronger than usual. They must have sent the teen class on a run earlier.

“You came for me! Did you finish work early?” Chenle bubbled at Kun’s side as they walked away from the group in front of the school.

“Yes.” He adjusted the basket on his free arm to make sure nothing fell. “We finished gathering very quickly, but I think it’s mostly because grandmother is ill.”

Chenle frowned, but set his head against Kun’s shoulder. “I’m glad they’re giving you time to take care of her.”

“It is good.” They made their way back home. Technically, Chenle didn’t live here, wasn’t allowed to live with Kun and his grandmother despite them being his only living blood family, but he didn’t seem to care. He would sneak out of the dorms every day if Kun didn’t stop him. Their grandmother waved when they came in. She did seem a bit stronger after her rest and Yoona’s visit. Chenle went to sit with her, perching on the side of her bed while Kun put away the herbs and bandages. He came up next to Chenle to take Biyu’s temperature.

“You seem to have cooled off. How are you feeling?”

She smiled at him gently. “Better for the rest. Yoona visited earlier, but I think I had stabilized by then.”

“That’s good, right?” Chenle peeked between them. “Remember that I know nothing about healing.”

“And won’t if you get any say in it,” Kun teased, but he ruffled Chenle’s hair anyway. “Yes, it’s good.”

“It’s as good as it can be, darling.” Biyu patted Chenle’s hand. “Don’t worry about me too much.” Chenle seemed reassured, even if she coughed right after.

He left them to chat while he brewed tea for that cough. He poured a cup for Chenle as well; ginger and honey couldn’t hurt anyone. She took the cup in steady hands. It was a good sign.

“How was work?”

Kun sighed as he pulled a chair up to the side of the bed. Two tea drinkers watched him. “Fine, for what it is. We finished gathering herbs early so I actually got to get near a few patients before they let me go.”

“That’s good.” She asked about the cases and let him ramble on while she finished her tea. Chenle’s eyes glazed over after the first case, but he sat with them and finished his tea before wandering off to find his school bag. He slid to the end of the bed to start his homework.

Biyu set her empty cup on the bedside table. “Did you get the herbs I asked you for from storage?”

Kun got the packet out of the cabinet. “It was on the list for today, anyway, so I just picked a little extra.”

“Good.” She patted the bedspread. “Set everything up here?”

He laid a towel over the bedspread before spreading out the herbs, mortar, and pestle. She directed him to get some water first. “You want to sprinkle the herbs in the correct order so it hardens into a paste as you stir.”

He followed her instructions to the letter, and slowly the water turned first soupy, then harder until he had made the paste they frequently used to pack wounds and prevent infection. Kun had never been allowed to get near it in the house.

Biyu beamed at him. “There you go. It’s perfect.”

“It’s probably not perfect.” He started cleaning up. “It’s my first try.”

“Well.” She shrugged. “For a first try, it’s pretty good. It should keep for several weeks before it hardens, longer if you keep it somewhere moist. So you can prepare batches in advance if you know there are going to be injuries.”

He put away the towel and threw away the remnants of the packet, movements perhaps a little sharper than they needed to be. “Like in a war?”

She didn’t seem bothered. “Yes, though I was thinking of the full moon hunts.” She eyed him. “You’re going to have to leave soon to meet the others for the hunt tonight.”

He groaned. “I know.”

“What’s so annoying about the hunt?” Chenle glanced up from his notebook. “It sounds exciting, from what I’ve heard.”

Kun grumbled as he finished packing away the paste. “It’s exciting if you’re in good standing in the pack, especially as an alpha or an alpha’s mate. Omegas like me, the outcasts? It’s not so fun for us.”

“Oh.” Chenle sounded like he was pouting. “That’s not as interesting. I wonder what it’ll be like when I present?”

Kun pushed the fear down with the closing cabinet door. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, Lele.”

It didn’t matter what Chenle presented as. Kun could only hope a blood connection to the Qians wouldn’t carry harm to him even if he presented as alpha.

All too soon, it was nearing dusk. Kun walked Chenle back to the orphan dorms before splitting off toward omega housing. Mark sat on his own doorstep near the front of the complex. He waved Kun over.

“What’s up?”

“Just.” Mark shrugged. “I don’t really want to wait alone.”

“Where are Ten and Jaehyun?”

Mark pointed across the way. “Still changing. You know how Ten gets before a hunt. He happened to grab Jaehyun before I got there and I didn’t really feel the need to get involved in that.”

“Ah.” Kun sat next to him. “That’s fair. I don’t suppose you know why Ten feels the need to get dressed up every hunt just to snap at all the alphas?”

Mark just looked at him. “Why would I know any better than you?”

“So we’re both clueless then.”

Mark laughed. “Definitely. Maybe Jaehyun knows.”

“Maybe.” Most likely it was just a personal thing, if Mark didn’t know. Kun settled in. They didn’t have to wait long, for all Mark’s talk about Ten. Jaehyun opened the door to Ten’s place and trotted out to join them. Like Kun and Mark, Jaehyun wore simple clothes that covered enough skin for a sham of modesty but that were loose enough to be easily removed and pulled back on after the shift.

He crouched by Mark and smiled at Kun. “How’s your grandmother?”

“Oh my god, I completely forgot.” Mark looked stricken. “Yes, how is she?”

“Better now. She wasn’t doing so well last night but she seems to have stabilized.” He sighed. “I think we just have to hope she keeps getting better. The healers still don’t have much to say.”

“She’ll be okay, though, right?” Mark asked. “I mean, it’s just an illness they haven’t seen in a while, right?”

Jaehyun seemed more sober, gaze steady on Kun’s face. Kun smiled at Mark. “That’s what they say. I hope they’re right.”

“It’ll be fine,” he murmured. “She has to be fine.”

Kun didn’t respond because Ten finally emerged, closing the door to his unit behind him. Every hunt, Ten made himself look prettier than usual—not that Ten wasn’t beautiful, but he didn’t usually put much effort into his looks—and wore clothes that, while they covered everything, cut much closer to his body than the others. He stopped in front of the steps. “Shall we go?”

“We’d better, yeah.”

Kun took the rear as they left.


	2. Chapter 2

Kun and his friends headed out in a group. The other unmated omegas surrounded them in smaller groups of their own, chattering and gossiping amongst themselves. One girl, passing him, was telling her friend how much she wanted to find a mate at the hunt. A big, strong alpha to protect her. Kun wrinkled his nose.

Ten caught his wrist in one hand. “Don’t.”

“I’m not going to.” He gritted his teeth. “But I don’t understand it.”

“And you think I do?” Ten snorted. Jaeyun moved to the other side of them, an extra shield against listeners. “I wouldn’t take any of the alphas here if they courted me for a year. As if they would. But this is our reality, and I guess some of them are willing to live with it.”

He scoffed. “It’s stupid.”

“Yes. But you can’t change their minds by arguing. I wouldn’t bother trying.”

Kun glanced at Ten, at his beauty purposely enhanced. “Why do you get so dressed up, then?”

Ten bared his teeth at him. “What, you can’t figure it out?”

Kun just shook his head. They arrived at the cleared space in front of the forest as a mass. Their group was usually the second last to arrive. The betas generally had to start setting up before anyone arrived, the pack leaders always wanted to supervise, and the mated pairs usually trickled in on their own to socialize. The alphas were last.

Kun pressed himself back into the mass of omegas as the alphas rolled in. He pulled Mark back with him. Jaehyun and Ten flanked them. The alphas moved as a unified group, spreading across the clearing until they dominated it. There, all unification ended. Some of the calmer alphas—though they had few of them—remained to chat with betas or mated pairs. Most of the alphas decided to preen for the omegas. The women, while few and far between, were generally calmer than the male alphas. They didn’t even have that many, but they spread so much they took up all the space

Their Alpha stepped to the center of the clearing. Haejin gave the same speech that Kun always tuned out before telling them to shift. Kun stripped with the rest of the pack and hid his clothes with Jaehyun’s and Mark’s. Ten took his time. He didn’t look at any of the alphas, didn’t appear to even notice they were there, but he stripped much slower than everyone else. It drew attention, when he stood alone in his clothes. Ten passed Kun each piece of clothing as it came off. By the time they reached his underclothes, Ten’s hands were shaking subtly. He winked at Kun before flowing into his shift like it was a dance. The others began to shift, too.

Once Jaehyun and Mark had started to shift, Kun allowed his wolf to take over. He might hate the hunt, but letting his wolf run free was the one enjoyable part. Bones cracked and sinew popped as his muscles changed over them. In his first shift as a child, he had thought the pain would kill him, that it was a punishment. Now, pain was a faint memory in his skin. Pure white fur rolled over that same skin, hiding him from prying eyes. Kun crouched beside Jaehyun as Mark finished shifting more slowly. Ten was the fastest of them, and as the first changed he kept an eye on the rest. His silver fur raised slightly, but not enough to draw attention. Just like his shaking hands. The alphas were less restrained in their wolf forms. They prowled through the crowd, looking for something to interest them. Kun, Jaehyun, and Ten formed a rank around Mark.

One of the alphas, a huge black wolf with a grey stripe across one ear, stopped in front of their group. He didn’t try to peer past them at Mark, so Kun remained in position. Ten dug his paws into the packed dirt so he could lean away from the wolf without moving. What was his name? Daeson? Daeson tried to nose at him. Ten snapped his teeth. Daeson growled, the hair on his neck standing up. Kun pressed closer to Mark’s side and drew forward so he flanked Ten. Jaehyun did the same on the other side. Ten growled at Daeson. He huffed and walked off, apparently not interested enough to kick up a fuss. Ten allowed a single full-body shudder before he stood tall, hair flat. Mark rose behind them, shaking out his black fur. Jaehyun nudged him, supporting Mark with his shoulder. His sandy fur mixed with Mark’s darker colors. Mark almost came up to Jaehyun’s size in wolf form, but he was much less steady on his feet at first. Kun nosed over him until Mark whined. Ten, smallest and fastest, danced in front of them as they waited.

Haejin called the pack together once everyone finished shifting. They ran as one group into the forest. All presentations mixed together, except for the mated pairs who kept to the edges and little groups like Kun’s. They lagged at the back, where it was safest. Kun’s wolf tried to break free, tried to run, as always, but Kun had learned self-control at a much younger age than Chenle was now. His paws didn’t even twitch away as he kept pace with Jaehyun. Ten had different desires. He went back and forth from their group in small circles, forward, then behind them.

Another alpha approached on one of Ten’s circles ahead. Ten pranced just out of reach. Kun drew to a halt, cutting the others off. This wolf was smaller than the other had been, dark brown fur blending into their surroundings too much for Kun to pick out an identifying feature. He puffed up, crowding closer to Ten with long strides. Ten pranced back, fur going up. He growled. The alpha growled back, looming closer. Ten danced around him, never showing his back. The alpha pounced. Ten dodged. He skipped back toward them. Kun shoved in front of Mark as Jaehyun slipped forward. Mark bounced off him, whining softly. Jaehyun slid around Ten to stand at the front of their group. He dug his paws in and growled at the alpha. Kun spotted grey boot coloring over the alpha’s paws. It was Jinkyu.

Ten slid across the leaves until he stood between Kun and Mark. Jinkyu growled, but between the three of them, Jaehyun, Kun, and Mark surrounding Ten, they presented too united a front to make easy prey. He growled again before running off. Kun leaned on Ten until Ten huffed at him and ran, a different direction than Jinkyu had gone.

Ten stayed close to them after that. Kun brushed against his side, filling his nose with Ten’s sea breeze scent. Ten knocked back into him playfully. He had to wait until they reached the center of their forest territory, where the guard split off to watch the edges against their rival—about half the alphas for this hunt, who would switch in the next hunt—and the mated pairs wandered to spots of their own. 

Only when they were allowed to split could Kun give in to Ten’s teasing. He chased Ten from the clearing with Mark following. Jaehyun brought up the rear. He usually did his level best to keep pace with Ten. Kun dropped back to check on him. He nudged Jaehyun along until he snapped and started chasing Kun. They chased each other until they wore themselves out and collapsed into a pile together. Close like this, warm and safe under a pile of fur, Kun could almost forget he wanted to be anywhere else. They pulled themselves up when the scents of alpha and beta approached. Kun led them back to the relative safety of the large clearing. 

When they returned to the village, Kun was the first to reach their clothes. The shift back was less enjoyable because his wolf was sulking, but he managed it quickly. He dressed and passed clothes back to the others when they returned to human form. Mark went easily. Jaehyun still seemed subdued. Ten shook as he pulled his clothes on and wrapped his arms around himself. They surrounded him instead of Mark as they slipped away from the cleared space to head back to Ten’s quarters.

Ten made the standard living quarters as colorful as possible. He made and hung blankets, curtains, small paintings over every room until it looked like nowhere else. Mark grabbed one of the blankets Ten kept over the back of his couch and wrapped himself up as he sat. Jaehyun dropped to sit next to him. Kun paused in the middle of the room. Jaehyun seemed upset, but not critical; he could wait. Kun turned to Ten.

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?” Ten snapped back. He paced the length of the room. “I hate hunts.”

Kun crossed his arms. “I asked the wrong question before. It shouldn’t have been “why do you dress up before a hunt?” It should have been “why do you provoke the alphas like that?”“

Ten let out a shuddering breath. His arms had barely unwrapped from around himself to let them into the building; now, they tightened around his abdomen. “It’s the only thing I can do.”

“To what?” Kun drew closer. “You put yourself in danger every time we go out, danger that could spill over to the rest of us if you tangle with the wrong alpha. What’s the point of that?”

“I’m not like you.” Ten turned to face them. Something dark and desperate peeked out from behind his eyes. “I don’t have your self-control. I hate them, you know? As much as you do. It pisses me off. And you can redirect it, you can take care of the rest of us and pretend you don’t want to run off into the forest and leave it all behind, but I can’t.” His voice cracked. He looked more tired than Kun could remember seeing him as he continued. “I’ve never gone far enough to technically provoke any one of them. They may see an invitation, but I’m playing by the rules. I never entice any of them elsewhere, and I’m certainly not encouraging them when they approach me. So it would be against the rules for them to hurt me.”

“Since when have any of the alphas here played by the rules?” Kun waved a hand. “Don’t you remember Jisoo? What did she ever do to deserve a mauling?” Mark and Jaehyun watched them closely, but neither seemed inclined to step in.

He deflated. “I know. I didn’t mean to draw them toward you—or Mark, really.” He glanced at Mark, who looked confused. He wouldn’t have noticed anything while he was shifting. “I just …”

“We know.” Jaehyun got up to hug him. “But even if it’s against the rules, that won’t mean much after one of them hurts you.”

Ten relaxed against Jaehyun, though he kept his arms around himself. His gaze was so tired, for different reasons than Kun’s surely was.

“We don’t want you to get hurt,” Kun told him. “And even if I wanted to run off into the forest by myself, I couldn’t leave you all.”

Ten sighed and held out a hand. Kun bypassed that and hugged him from his free side. Mark got up to join them with his blanket. It was almost as nice as the wolf pile they had made earlier. Kun didn’t want to break it, but when the curfew bell rang, he had to step back.

“I have to get back to my grandmother.”

They pulled apart slowly. “Tell her we said hi.”

Kun did, when he arrived home. She was still sitting up, with a book in her lap. It looked like she had napped for a bit, since her glasses were almost falling off of her face. He made sure she was feeling well enough to sleep before he crawled into his smaller bed by the wall. Wild as the night had been, exhaustion seeped into his bones. He fell asleep to the tune of Biyu’s almost clear breathing.

***

It turned out he had been wrong about tensions easing, when actual wolves started showing up in the healing house half dead. He couldn’t do anything to help other than fetch and carry, not when every alpha he approached growled at him. Yoona eventually sent him to the back room. After longer than he would have liked of that, she let him out to check on his grandmother and bring her new medicines to try. Both of them still refused to tell him what was wrong.

Kun slipped back into the healing house just as Doyoon shuffled out. He gave a half-hearted sneer, but neither could be bothered to do anything. Most of the healers were busy, with full beds. Yoona, too, was occupied, but she would want him hidden away in the back. Kun made his way down the aisle between the two bed columns.

As he passed a bed in the center of the room, one of the alphas surged off the bed. Kun stumbled back a few steps to avoid being hit. The alpha—Minhyuk, it became clear when he straightened—growled at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I work here.” Minhyuk had to know that. Kun eased to the side. He pulled up short when Minhyuk growled again. “You should lie down and let the healers take care of you.”

“Shut up.” Minhyuk loomed at him. His eyes were red. “You don’t know anything, why are you here?”

Because he couldn’t just do his job. Minhyuk’s injuries were half-bandaged. The beta healers behind him didn’t look happy, but they stood still. What use would it be if Minhyuk bled out on the floor they had Kun clean? Kun bit his tongue and lowered his gaze. “I’m just passing through. You’re hurt. Please let the healers help you.”

Jennie finally stepped forward to help. “Please. You’re still bleeding. Please let us help you.”

Kun tilted his head slightly.

Minhyuk growled. “Stupid omega.” But he allowed Jennie and the others to draw him back to the bed. Kun slid away. He kept his head down until he was safely in the storeroom. He shut the door carefully. He took two steps away, then three more. A basket of new blankets sat on the table next to him. He had just washed them this morning and asked Jennie to make sure no one messed with them before Yoona had sent him off.

He swiped the basket off the table. Blankets flew, scattered across the floor. The basket toppled. His hands shook.

***

His hands had stopped shaking by the time he made it home. Chenle sat at the end of Biyu’s bed, gesturing grandly about something. Kun waved tiredly as he went to put his things away. Chenle got up to follow him. “Hi.”

“Hi. How’s she been?” He put the empty basket under the counter.

“Not too great.” He frowned. “I don’t know what good is supposed to look like, but she’s been worse than she has recently. She said you brought her medicine, but she kept coughing and she tried to nap but she kept waking up.” He tugged on Kun’s shirt sleeve. “What are you going to do?”

He sighed. How much should he tell Chenle? He wasn’t a kid this time, even if he hadn’t presented yet. “I don’t know. The healers are doing what they can, but they haven’t told me what’s wrong. She hasn’t either.”

Chenle glanced to where Biyu seemed to be trying to nap. He stepped closer. “Is it—do you think the plague came back?”

He grabbed Chenle up in a hug. He wasn’t sure whom it was for, him or Chenle. “I’m sure it’s not. Neither of us are sick, so it’s not something contagious.” He hoped. “The healers will help. She’ll be fine.” Chenle grabbed him back tighter.

He pulled back eventually to see the sun had gone down. “You should go back. It’s gone dark.”

Chenle pouted. “I can’t stay here tonight?”

Not tonight. Kun tugged on Chenle’s ear. “You know I’d love for you to stay here, but I don’t want you to get in trouble. She’ll be fine, alright?” He walked Chenle back to the dorms and then hurried home.

His grandmother smiled weakly at him from her bed. “Did you have a nice day?”

Decidedly no. “Yeah, it was good. I just took Chenle back to the dorm.”

“That’s good.” She seemed to nod off for a bit. Kun got changed and climbed in his bed. Biyu opened her eyes as he was drawing the covers over himself. “You know I love you, don’t you?”

“Of course I know. I love you, too.”

She nodded. “Follow your heart, but be smart about it. Okay?”

“Okay, but you’re going to be fine.”

She shrugged before drifting off. He lay awake longer than he would have liked listening to her breathing steady out.

***

Something was wrong. Kun woke to a cold room and silence. One of those was not unusual; he was the only one who could keep up the fire when it got remotely cold, so unless Biyu was having a particularly bad night, he wouldn’t stay up to watch it. But it was never silent when he woke, even before dawn. Kun sat up. Early morning light slipped in through the window. He had left a notebook out on the table underneath the herb cabinets. His grandmother’s book still sat out beside her bed. Kun swallowed. His grandmother lay still. He couldn’t hear her breath.

“No. No, no, no.” Kun scrambled to her side. She wasn’t breathing. He pressed two fingers against her neck, the way she had taught him. No pulse beat in her throat. Her skin was so cold. It hadn’t had time to stiffen, remaining as smooth as ever under his fingers. She hadn’t had time to explain that to him. Now, she never would.

The death call ripped from his throat without permission. He wasn’t ready for the storm, but his wolf didn’t care. The call picked up from other throats as the neighbors caught on. It spread around the village until he could hear nothing else. Kun fell into darkness even as his hands continued to work, preparing for the healers to come.


	3. Chapter 3

Kun sat in the common area between the omega houses, pretending to watch Mark and Ten play cards. Jaehyun sat warm against his side while Chenle napped in Kun’s lap. He had not been taking the changes well, but if there was one twisted upside to this hell, it was that he could access Chenle more easily. No one had objected to Chenle staying in Kun’s new quarters for the first few weeks. Even now, when Kun had to send him back for curfew, they were much more lenient about stretching the rules. He couldn't bring himself to be grateful.

Mark won. Ten whined and tackled him. They rolled around playfully, much like they would have in wolf form, if they were allowed to shift in town. It tugged on something that hadn’t stirred in Kun in weeks. It tugged a little more as Jaehyun laughed. He stroked Chenle’s hair.

Haejin’s mate appeared in the entryway. Tall and sleek, Jiyeon cultivated the image of a perfect omega mate. Chatter ceased. Ten sat up, pulling Mark with him. Jiyeon marched over to their little space. “You all, come with me.”

“What’s going on?” Jaehyun kept his arm around Kun’s shoulders so he couldn’t sit up. Kun’s hand tightened in Chenle’s hair until the boy whined in his sleep. He let go. His wolf came to attention.

“The pack council wishes to speak to you.” She turned to a group near them. “Soyeon, Rose, Lisa, Soojin, you as well.”

“Why?” Ten tightened his grip on Mark when she turned back, but he didn’t back down. “What’s going on?”

“You’ll find out when we get there.” She glanced at Kun. “Leave the child. He’s not involved.”

“I should take him back to his room, then.” Kun petted his wolf until he subsided. Growling at a pack leader wouldn’t solve anything. “It’s almost his curfew.”

She waved dismissively. “Go and come back.”

He had to shake Chenle awake, which always made him feel like a monster. Chenle whined as he woke.

“It’s time to go home,” Kun whispered. “You have to get up now, I’m sorry.”

Chenle rubbed his eyes. “Home is with you.”

It felt like a punch to the gut. Kun stroked his hair. “Well, it’s time for bed, then.”

Chenle whined. It took some doing, but he got Chenle to his bed with only a little more whining and pouting. When he returned, Jiyeon stood at the gate with the others. He fell into step with Ten as she led them toward the council house.

“What’s going on?”

Ten shrugged, shoulder brushing his. “She still wouldn’t say. I don’t think we’re in trouble or this would have gone down differently.”

Kun grunted. Curiosity warred with the apathy that had been consuming him as they approached the council house. Omegas were so rarely allowed in here, only for meetings with the entire village, and those were so rare that he could count them on one hand. That suited him fine; he didn’t like the building a bit. Blocky and imposing, it stood like a dark blot in the center of town. They filed inside, Kun between Jaehyun and Mark as Ten wedged between Mark and one of the girls. The inside was just as imposing as the outside. An unnecessarily high ceiling loomed above them, swathed in shadow from the minimal candles used to light the way. A series of pews ran the length of the room in front of a long table circled by individual chairs. The council filled the half-circle around the table facing them. Papers were strewn across it.

The council watched as they followed Jiyeon to the seats left for them in front of the council table. She nodded to Haejin before she left. Kun took his seat carefully so he wouldn’t scream. Mark took his hand.

“Do any of you know why you’re here?” Byunghun asked.

Ten snorted. “You have to know we’re never told anything, so no.”

Byunghun’s eyes flickered red. “You’ll show me respect, or I’ll teach it to you.”

Ten tensed. Jaehyun put a hand on his knee. Ten opened his mouth.

“Byunghun,” Haejin snapped, “don’t confuse the issue.”

Byunghun’s eyes flickered again, but he sat back.

Haejin stood. “That wasn’t a fair question, but it does illustrate the situation we’re in.”

Kun bit his tongue so he wouldn’t say what he was thinking. The nearest candle flickered in an interesting pattern. He focused on it until his breathing calmed.

“I’m sure you’re aware that things have been tense with our nearest pack neighbors for a very long time.”

“Tense is one word for it.” Kun held himself centered when the council looked at him, though his wolf growled low. “Every one of the guards you send out ends up in the healing house at some point. It’s more than just tension. This is war.”

Haejin nodded, though the others grumbled about Kun being allowed in the healing house. “I thought you might notice that. Yes. We’re essentially engaged in war, and no one wants that.”

According to some of the alphas who came in, a lot of wolves wanted that. Kun sat back.

Soyeon crossed her arms over her chest. “So has something changed?”

“Yes. We’ve been in talks with the other pack for weeks now, and we’ve come to an agreement that we think will settle things.”

Despite the lack of windows and general stuffiness, the room felt very cold. Before the next words came out of the alpha’s mouth, Kun knew what he was going to say.

“We’ve agreed to respect the boundaries of each other’s territory and try to build an alliance against packs further out who could try to expand into both our spaces.” Haejin stood. “As a gesture of our good intentions, we’re sending you to their pack as potential mates for their leaders.”

His stomach dropped to the floor.

“As mates to their pack council, I’m sure you’ll encourage them to act in both our best interests.” He smiled. Sick as Kun felt, he couldn’t make out any true malicious intent in that smile. Haejin just didn’t care about their existences. Could he even see what he was sentencing them to? “The guards will take you back to omega housing so you can pack.”

Not only did the guards walk them over, they followed them inside the gate, where alphas were never allowed. Kun kept a tight hold on Mark and Jaehyun until the guards told them to split up and pack. At least they didn’t follow anyone into the houses.

Kun was doubly glad they hadn’t followed when he stepped into his room to find Chenle lying on his bed. He looked up with a small pout. “I couldn’t sleep there. Can I stay with you tonight?”

It was like a dagger to the heart. Kun dropped to his knees by the bed. What could he even say? “I’m so sorry.”

“Because I can’t sleep?” Chenle patted his shoulder. “That’s not your fault.”

Gods, could he just take Chenle and run? There weren’t that many guards around, and Chenle had to know another way out. He startled at a bang on the door.

“Hurry up, would you?”

“Who’s that?” Chenle sat up.

“That’s one of the guards.” Kun pulled himself up to sit on the bed. “Listen to me carefully, okay? I have to pack a bag quickly and then I need to talk to you.”

“Is something going on?” Chenle waited while Kun threw his essentials into a bag. He didn’t even have sentimental items like Ten’s blankets. Everything he had thrown into a dresser drawer after being shuffled out of his home fit back into the bag in a matter of moments.

He returned to the bed, leaving his bag at the end of it. “Something’s happened.”

“What?”

How could he do this? “The council made a treaty with the pack we’ve been fighting.”

“That’s good, right?”

Kun put a hand over Chenle’s. “It is, but there’s a price we don’t get to choose.” He swallowed. “They’re taking some of us over to the other pack as proof of their good intentions.”

“Us means us?” he waved between them. “That’s not so bad.”

“No.” Kun closed his eyes. “No, baby, I’m sorry. They’re taking me, Ten, Jaehyun, and Mark over there as potential mates for some of their pack members. They’re only sending omegas. I can’t take you with me.”

“What?” Chenle looked like he’d been slapped. “You’re leaving?”

“I don’t want to.” Kun cupped Chenle’s face in his hands. “I swear, if I could take you with me, I would. But they’re not giving me a choice. There are guards outside and I can’t risk you by doing something crazy.”

Chenle’s tears ran over Kun’s palms. He tried to rub them away. “I love you, you know that, right?” One of the last things Biyu had ever said. “This won’t be forever. I will get you—”

The door slammed open. The guard stormed over. Kun stood in front of Chenle, but the guard wasn’t aiming for him. He picked up Kun’s bag and grabbed Kun’s arm. “Time to go.”

“Hey.” Kun tried to pull away, but the guard was too strong. He dragged Kun toward the door.

“No!” Chenle ran after him. “Don’t take him away. Please, please don’t take him away from me.”

The guard frowned, still moving. “What are you even doing in here? You should be in the orphan house.” He called for another guard. Kun kept trying to pull away. 

“Lele, just stay here, okay?”

“No.” He chased them right into the second guard. He swooped Chenle up and over his shoulder. “No! Put me down! Don’t take Kun away.” He screamed, face twisting. The guard carried him away before Kun could even speak.

He didn’t fight as his guard dragged him to the others and dropped his bag to the ground. Mark pulled him up by a hand; Kun held onto it like a lifeline. The others crowded close as they waited under guard for directions. Kun had kept calm as best he could, but eventually, he ran out of distractions for the despair. He dropped Mark’s hand so he could pace around the group. Ten slid over to whisper to Mark. At least someone had the capacity for it.

Ten eyed him on a pass. “How are you doing, Kunkun?”

Kun couldn’t hold back a low growl. “Why us?” Mark seemed frozen, but Jaehyun paced in short loops behind them. “They don’t even like us, what’s the point of trading us off?”

“I bet that is the point.” Ten rubbed Mark’s shoulder. “They wouldn't want to trade away their most desirable omegas, would they? We’re pretty enough, I think the disgusting things the alphas have to say prove that, but we’re the troublesome ones.” He nodded at girls, who were trying to comfort a crying Rose. “Them, too.”

Soyeon watched them. “What makes you troublesome?” Kun asked her instead of smashing something.

She shrugged. “I’m young and I’ve turned down every alpha or beta who asks to court me, with intense attitude. I’m not saying there were that many of them, but, well.” She waved. “I guess I have a reputation.”

That was fair. He wandered back to his friends and crouched in front of Ten. “I’m trying to come up with a way out of this.” As if that would undo the damage.

“Got anything?”

He nodded at the guards. “With these guards? No, not really.” He wanted to scream, but it wouldn’t do any good. “Why am I even included? I heard what you said, but they can’t think anyone would want me even over there.”

Ten’s mouth twisted. “I don’t know whether to tell you of course there’s someone who will want you or commiserate because we’re all screwed.”

“Commiserate, definitely.” He didn’t want any of them to want him. It didn’t matter if no one had ever even looked at him; he didn’t want any of them either. “Maybe we can run?” The town wasn’t that well-guarded.

The council returned before anyone could respond. They were hustled out of town without another word.

***

Kun prodded listlessly at the fire as the others chatted. The alphas were patrolling because apparently even the promise of a truce wasn’t enough to guarantee their safety in these woods. The others’ words passed him by without sticking. His mind was filled with Chenle’s cries.

“Are you okay?” Soyeon asked, leaning over.

He shrugged. “I had to say goodbye to Chenle.” He couldn’t get Chenle’s face out of his head. His last sight of his cousin for who even knew how long had been of him crying and screaming, in pain when Kun couldn’t fix it. “It didn’t go so well.”

“That’s your cousin, right?” She scooted a little closer. “Is everything okay?”

Ah, yes, the village knew about his grandmother. Kun tossed the stick into the fire and grabbed another. “He’s as fine as he can be, except that I’m being dragged away from him and we’ll probably never see each other again. I don’t even know what they’ll say. I didn’t even get to comfort him.” What were the chances this new pack would ever let him back in this territory? He’d probably never see Chenle again.

Kun dropped the stick. How could he just leave Chenle there? Ten leaned on him. His best chance was to hope he wasn’t chosen by anyone and to try to slip away. Surely they wouldn’t care about one unmated omega in this deal. Kun wrapped an arm around Ten. If he was lucky, he could slip into the village and steal Chenle.

Mark slumped into his other side. Jaehyun rested against Kun’s legs. It would never happen. It was insane to even think of, but he had to hold on to something. Kun let his head rest on Mark’s and put a hand on Jaehyun’s shoulder. At the same time, he couldn’t leave them to face this alone. The fire crackled. It wouldn’t be long before they had to put it out, so Kun cuddled them closer to its warmth. Wind whistled through the trees. 

***

They reached the edge of the Neo pack’s village in the dead of night, when it was so dark they actually needed their wolf eyes to see.

Guards waited for them, a mix of alphas and betas. Kun blinked. Veteris would never have allowed a beta to act as guard. One alpha, tall and blond with a pointed ear on one side, stepped forward.

“We can take it from here.” His face was impassive, but the gaze he sent across the omegas felt kinder than it had any right to be. “You may go now.”

“We would like to stay and see that things go well,” Minhyuk said carefully. Kun had never heard that particular tone out of their alpha’s mouths.

The strange alpha glanced over them again. “My name is Sicheng. You may come to the council house as long as you understand that you are guests in this territory and that it will be my job to enforce the rules of our agreement if you slip up.”

Something passed between the Veteris alphas before they nodded. Sicheng stepped back and turned. “Come.”

They followed. The other guards allowed them past. One beta caught up to Sicheng, pressing close against his side. He was maybe a few centimeters shorter, with dark hair. It was too dark to see much more from behind. Kun trudged along with the rest of them. This town was bigger. The houses spread further from each other, leaving small yards between them. He couldn’t see the houses well, but the streets they walked on were clean and clear. Kun stayed close to Ten and Mark.

Their council house looked like some of the other houses they had passed, but larger. A solid, square wooden building with windows framing the double doors. Sicheng pulled one of the doors open as the beta following him pulled open the other. They filed in. The inside was warm and well-lit, filled with a variety of chairs. Sicheng paused in the doorway as the other guards spread out. He looked at something Kun couldn’t see, then waved at the wall. “You can leave your things here if you don’t want to carry them.”

Kun didn’t want to leave his bag, but he wasn’t about to antagonize a strange pack on his first night there. He followed when the rest of the group moved to put their things by the wall. They turned as one.

A group watched them, like the Veteris alphas had earlier in the day but more wary. Mostly alphas; Kun also scented a few betas and at least one omega. He tamped down on anything that threatened to show on his face. In a place like this, knowledge was power. He wanted that for himself, not for anyone else. Some of those on the edges of the room had to be guards. They stood impassively by the walls, joined by those who had escorted them here. He couldn’t pick the scents apart too well, but some of them were probably betas. Those who had to be the pack council stood ready in the center. Where was the omega?

Scents became easier to pick out as their group was ushered toward the pack council. The Veteris alphas congregated to one side. Some of the council members, clearly older, kept to the back of the group in pairs. Were they advisors, or also part of the council? Nearer to Kun, a tall pair stood close together, the beta slightly taller than the alpha. They were both handsome, both wary. If they were mated, that took two of them out. Another pair nearby both wore mating marks. Four members out of the running helped their changes. Most of the others appeared unmated.

One was tall, also handsome. His features were almost delicate, but his gaze was hard. He stayed near the back despite his watchful gaze. Perhaps he wasn’t interested? The other two were shorter, close to Ten’s height. One had red hair and a sturdy build. He seemed as disinterested in the proceedings as the tall one, except that he stood at the front and exchanged pleasantries with the alphas escorting them. The other one, slightly taller, could only be described as pretty. He had a tiny scar by his eye. His hair was deep black. And he was the omega Kun scented.

The shorter alpha sent their escorts to the wall and asked the omegas to come forward. They spread into a line but stayed close together. Kun kept Mark’s hand tight in his. Ten could take care of himself, Jaeyhun stood too far away, but Mark hadn’t spoken more than ten words since this began. He could at least try to take care of one of them.

The shorter alpha stepped back to stand with the few who carried bite marks. Maybe he truly wasn’t interested. Kun should have been watching the rest, but he couldn’t stop peeking at the redhead. What was wrong with him?

The other pack seemed to be having a silent conversation. One of the alphas waved toward them with a polite hand. The omega standing across from them drew in a sharp breath. He stepped forward, gaze shining and confused on Ten. “You.”

“Me?” Ten put his hand on Kun’s shoulder. For once, it didn’t shake. “What about me?”

“You …” he shook his head. “It’s you.”

“What’s me?” Ten only looked confused, but something made him feel comfortable enough to let Kun go. He stepped out of the line. “I—” he stiffened at something Kun didn’t or couldn’t sense. “What is that?”

The other looked torn. He glanced back at the others. Another silent conversation took place. When he turned back, something had settled but his ears were red. “You feel it, too?”

Ten cocked his head. “Who are you?”

“I’m your mate, I think,” he said quietly. “But my name is Taeyong.”

Ten looked floored. He opened his mouth, but Byunghun surged forward. A guard got in his way.

“That’s not what we agreed,” he spat. “We agreed to send you omegas for your leading alphas, not some omega. What’s he even doing in here, anyway?”

Taeyong seemed to freeze over, glaring at the alpha. Before he could do anything, the shorter alpha cut him off.

“That’s enough,” he said. He didn’t move a muscle, it felt like the temperature dropped a few degrees. “You seem to be remembering our agreement incorrectly. You offered—we didn’t ask, you offered—to send omegas from your overly-populated pack here for consideration as mates to our council. Not our alphas, our council, which consists of all presentations. Taeyong is one of our most capable council members, not that it matters. Once you agreed, you were bound by the same rules we are. As per that agreement, as soon as you crossed into our territory you lost any right to have an opinion on what happens to them. You are a guest here, only accommodated on the premise that you follow your own rules. Back off or go home.”

Sicheng stepped away from the wall. Byunghun tried to stare down the shorter one. He didn’t seem bothered, gazing back until Byunghun backed up to rejoin his group. The short alpha smiled at Taeyong.

Taeyong turned back to Ten. Something softened. “I know this probably wasn’t what you were expecting. But would you consider letting me know you?”

Ten actually blushed a little. “I’ll think about it,” he said, but it was more teasing than anything else.

One of their alphas shoved Ten toward the other pack. “Go on, then, since you’re useless to us.”

Ten whipped around, a snarl already forming. “You don’t touch me.”

Kun turned in time to see Jaejoon puff himself up. “Not anymore, maybe.”

“Not ever.” Ten scoffed. “Or did you forget how hard I can hit?”

He snarled. Kun dropped Mark’s hand to slide between Ten and Jaejoon. “Don’t you think violence at this point would be counterproductive?” He kept his gaze away from Jaejoon’s red eyes in a farce of submission. “We’re no longer your concern, are we?”

He cursed at them, but slunk away. Kun let out a breath before he stuck to Mark’s side again.

Ten turned to find Taeyong very close. He seemed flustered, but followed Taeyong back to the other side of the room. Next to them, the redhead glanced at Kun before moving to speak with the Veteris alphas. 

Throughout the discussions, Kun found himself returning to gaze at the shorter alpha again and again. There was something different about him, more so than even the other strange alphas in this house. The other alphas here seemed confident without throwing it around. This alpha seemed to bleed confidence, but unlike the alphas he was used to, it didn’t overpower anyone else. He didn’t even seem aware of the tension that had Kun breathing carefully through his mouth. Kun couldn’t figure it out.

“Go on, then, Taeil,” Minhyuk said eventually. “We’re very interested to see the heir’s choice.”

It looked like Taeil rolled his eyes. He moved to the end of the line and greeted Lisa politely. Maybe he was truly uninterested. Maybe they would get out of this? The heir would be a dangerous person to be tied to. Taeil moved down the line, greeting and mildly sampling the air by each of them. Each omega he spoke to gentled after speaking with him. How did he manage that? Kun tried not to grip Mark’s hand too tightly.

Mark’s hand tightened in his as Taeil approached. Taeil smiled at him. “Good evening. I’m Taeil.”

Kun tried not to listen as they chatted, but Mark, too, relaxed as Taeil stepped up to Kun. He began to smile, but froze. Red flickered through his irises and vanished. “You.”

Well, fuck.


	4. Chapter 4

Byunghun jeered. As the room erupted into noise, Kun lost track of the world around him. His wolf paced and whined. Kun focused on settling him. When he came back to himself, Ten stood nose to nose with him. The alphas around them still shouted. There seemed to be some surprise, but mostly it amounted to the Veteris alphas personal offense. As if they hadn’t expected someone to claim him. The other unmated alphas were trying to talk them down while the guard watched carefully. He could scent Taeil nearby. Ten’s gaze sharpened on him.

“What just happened?” Kun whispered.

“I don’t know.” Ten’s eyes were wide. “But you haven’t zoned out like that in weeks. I wanted to check on you.”

“What the fuck just happened?” the whisper this time might have been a little hysterical, but Kun figured he was allowed.

“I don’t know.” Ten sounded almost as hysterical. He gripped Kun’s shoulders. “I don’t have any fucking clue what’s going on, but you need to keep it together, okay?”

Kun nodded. “Okay.” Ten nodded back before he slipped back to stand beside Taeyong. Taeil waited a few steps away, out of Kun’s space but close enough for his scent to almost overpower Mark’s flowers. 

Kun refused to look at him as he turned to Mark, hand still caught in the other’s. “Mark? Are you going to be okay?”

Mark only gazed back at him, stiller than Kun could remember seeing him. But he nodded. It took a second for him to loosen his fingers, but it felt like forever before Kun’s hand was empty and cold. He took a deep breath before turning to Taeil.

Taeil gave him the smallest smile as Kun stepped to his side. It vanished as he turned to look back at the Veteris alphas. “You made this offer, I don’t know why you’re so picky about how we fulfill it.”

Kun had a few ideas, but he couldn’t quite make his mouth work. Byunghun sneered again, but Minhyuk shut him up. Taeil looked back at him. He tipped his head toward where Taeyong and Ten stood. “We should go stand out of the way so we can all get this over with.”

Get this over with. That didn’t sound like someone very enthusiastic about his pack gaining omegas. Kun followed Taeil over to the side of the room where Ten and Taeyong had moved to stand with the mated pairs. He felt wound too tightly, skin stretching over his bones, but there was no outlet here. He stood next to Taeil, between him and Ten, and tried to breathe evenly. Taeil’s scent was unusual for an alpha. Forest pine settled pleasantly over him without clogging his nose. He swayed between the strange alpha and Ten’s familiar, comforting scent. Taeyong stood close enough to scent, but he smelled sweet.

That tall alpha had not stopped looking at Mark since they had come in. Kun had felt eyes on the back of his neck every time he interacted with Mark. Unusually for an alpha, it hadn’t felt threatening, only curious. He stepped forward, moving smoothly through the crowd until he stood right in front of Mark. Mark blinked up at the alpha, looking more awake than he had this whole time.

The alpha’s tone was gentle when he said, “My name is Jungwoo. Would you come with me?” and held out a hand.

It seemed to take Mark a moment to understand what he was being asked. He glanced at Jaehyun. Jaehyun, too, was more subdued than usual, but he shrugged at Mark. He glanced to where Ten and Kun stood. Kun shrugged at him, too. It wasn’t like they really knew what was going on. Jungwoo seemed nonviolent, at least. Mark took Jungwoo’s hand and let him draw him to the other side.

The room seemed to fall into confusion. Kun didn’t know the other pack, but there didn’t seem to be any other unmated alphas. Were they done? One of the Veteris alphas glanced around.

“Are we done here?” he waved. “That’s all of your unmated alphas. We can take the rest of the omegas back.”

“Wait a minute,” the other tall alpha stepped away from his beta mate. “We’re not done.”

“We’re not?” the leader frowned. “What else is there to take care of?”

He stepped over to Jaehyun, ignoring the others. “Would you be willing to talk to us? I’m Doyoung.”

“Me? But you …” Jaehyun trailed off, gaze flickering around the room. He paused at the tall beta, who only gazed back.

Doyoung nodded. “Yes. Is that okay?”

Jaehyun glanced around again. The Veteris alphas seemed surprised, but even Byunghun only shrugged. Jaehyun followed Doyoung back to their side of the room, looking shell-shocked. Kun couldn’t blame him. There hadn’t been a case of an alpha double claiming in their pack in decades, though pack law technically allowed it.

One of the mated alphas, an older woman who didn’t seem very interested in the proceedings, stepped into the open area between the two packs. “I think we’re done here.”

“Right.” The leader turned to the girls who hadn’t been claimed. “Come on, then. Get your things.”

“Oh, no.” The woman stepped between him and the omegas. “I don’t think you understand what’s going on here. You offered to send omegas to our pack. Regardless of the other stipulations, your offer was for omegas to join our pack. You chose these girls for that duty. They are ours now.”

“That’s not fair,” Byunghun objected. “We brought you omegas to choose as mates. We could only have brought you three omegas and matched to your council members,” he glanced at Taeyong and sneered, “even if one is an omega. We brought you options. You can’t just take all of them.”

“Oh?” She turned. “Taeil, remind me of the agreement.”

Taeil stepped out next to her. It left Kun feeling exposed. He edged closer to Ten. “The agreement said “we will bring omegas to join your pack, from whom the pack council may choose mates.” That says nothing about what happens to the others. You’ve already said your pack is over-populated and pointed out, quite rudely, that ours is not. We have room; why are you bothered by us taking in a few people you were willing to lose?”

Byunghun snarled. Taeil stared him down. The leader shoved Byunghun back. “They’re not worth it. Fine. Keep them. Are we leaving now?”

“Please, do.” Taeil and the woman walked them out of the house. As soon as the doors closed, Taeil sighed. “That was interesting.”

“Interesting is one word for it.” The woman looked around. “For those of you who don’t know, my name is Sunmi. Welcome to the Neo pack. Sicheng and the other guards will escort you to your sleeping places for the evening.” She glanced at Taeil. “We’ll figure the rest out in the morning. For now, treat this as your new home and don’t worry about the rest.”

That was a ridiculous request. Sicheng stepped away from the wall. He directed one of the alphas from earlier, a little younger, to lead the girls away. Sunmi and Taeil stepped out of the way as the girls gathered their things and left.

Sicheng turned to them. “Come on, we’ll take you where you need to go.” the beta from earlier stepped next to him.

Kun followed Ten, Mark, and Jaehyun to where their bags were. They all followed Sicheng and the other guard out. Kun held his breath as the slipped out, but Taeil didn’t even twitch toward him. They paused outside as the door closed.

“Well, that was all very weird,” the beta said. Sicheng nudged him. He stuck his tongue out. “What? you know it was.” He wasn’t much shorter than Sicheng, with darker hair and kind eyes.

“That doesn’t mean you have to say it in front of the new people,” Sicheng rolled his eyes. How did they know each other? Most alphas Kun knew would never have tolerated such disrespect. A mating mark slipped out from his collar.

“They should know,” he insisted before turning back to them. “Anyway, hi. I’m Yuta. I know we didn’t really introduce everyone properly earlier, but we were a little concerned that those alphas would make a scene. It didn’t really leave room for normal manners.”

“Where are we going?” He kept his gaze on Yuta. Betas were usually a safer bet, even if this one had odd ideas about manners.

Yuta gestured vaguely. “It’s too late to show you around, so we’re taking you somewhere you can rest and deal with all of this in private.”

“So you’re splitting us up?” Ten gripped Kun’s shoulder again.

Sicheng nodded. “This is an unusual situation for all of us,” he said. “Particularly for the four of you who are now legally tied to our pack members. We think it’s best for you to sort that out between yourselves as quickly as possible, rather than dragging it out and confusing everyone.”

It burned, but he wasn’t completely wrong. Kun still kept a tight hold of Mark until they reached the house that apparently belonged to Jungwoo. Sicheng escorted him inside and returned within minutes. Mark went quietly, as quietly as he had throughout this whole endeavor. Kun hoped he would come through the night some semblance of alright.

Jaehyun had kept close to Ten since they left the council house. Kun pressed close to him as they walked. The mated pair guiding them didn’t ask questions. Jaehyun seemed shocked more than anything. They dropped him off at a slightly larger house only a block away. Again, Sicheng disappeared with Jaehyun and reappeared alone very quickly. That he didn’t linger seemed like a good sign. Kun would take as many of those as he could get.

Ten hooked his arm through Kun’s as they pressed on. “Your pack leaders have their own houses?” He asked, peering around.

“Everyone has their own houses.” Yuta spun to face them, walking backward. “Unless you live with your family, but that’s a little different.”

Ten nodded. “We lived in dorms by presentation.”

Yuta wrinkled his nose. “Why would you do that? Wouldn’t it get annoying?”

Kun had to laugh, but it wasn’t a very pleasant one. “Maybe that’s why they do it.”

Ten snorted into his shoulder. “I doubt it.”

Yuta glanced at Sicheng. “Is that what a lot of things were like over back there?” he asked carefully. “Splitting things by presentation.”

Kun shrugged. “Isn’t that what it’s like everywhere?”

Yuta and Sicheng exchanged glances again. Taeyong apparently lived very close to Taeil, because they left Ten in a house at a corner and started for the end of the block instead of turning away from the dead-end street.

Sicheng glanced at him as they walked. “The four of you seem close.”

“We are.” Kun kept just out of reach of both of them as they walked. 

“Is that why you all came together? Because you’re close?”

Kun snorted. Maybe it wasn’t smart, but he didn’t care anymore. “We came because we were ordered to. I don’t know why they brought all four of us together.”

Sicheng and Yuta exchanged glances, but didn’t ask him any more questions.

When they reached what must be Taeil’s house, both Yuta and Sicheng came inside with him. The house was spacious, with solid furniture in light colors. He counted several chairs in the living room, a couch, and some shelving before they moved on. Other doors had to lead to useful rooms, but they didn’t explore. He followed them down a hallway and around the corner. They left him in what appeared to be the bedroom. Kun’s gut clenched. It was a pretty room, wide and open with a large bed and almost decorative furniture. There was a couch, but what would be the point of sitting there? Kun perched gingerly on the end of the bed, setting his bag on the floor beside it. He didn’t even know where to start wondering.

Finally, the door opened. Taeil stepped in and closed the door carefully behind him. Kun held his breath. He leaned against the door and surveyed Kun. Kun put his chin out. He wasn’t about to mouth off to a strange alpha, especially in his bedroom, but he wasn’t about to submit either.

“You don’t need to be so worried. I’m not going to touch you.”

“What?”

Taeil waved vaguely. “You look very concerned. I won’t ever touch unless you want me to. And you clearly don’t want me anywhere near you.”

He had a point. Kun nodded slowly. If that was the game he wanted to play, so be it. “Then what’s the point of all this?” he waved the way Taeil had. “Why claim an omega from an enemy pack if you don’t want to touch them?”

Taeil sighed. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t intend for that to happen, but here we are.”

“What do you mean you didn’t intend that to happen? You did it.”

“Well, let’s just say this is not how I was expecting tonight to end.”

“You weren’t expecting to claim an outcast omega?” Kun raised his eyebrows.

Taeil shook his head slowly. “I wasn’t planning to claim anyone at all.”

What.

Taeil smiled slightly at whatever showed on Kun’s face. “I’m sorry, you must have had a confusing night.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sure you didn’t expect to end up here. I didn’t plan on claiming anyone, but here we are.”

“What does that mean?” Kun crossed his arms over his chest. “What was your plan, then?”

Taeil dropped his hand to his side. He kept his gaze on Kun’s face and nowhere else, but just above his eyes. It seemed significant, but why would he bother? “None of this was supposed to happen. We didn’t want this part of the treaty, but your old pack seemed quite insistent that it would be good for both of us. We had planned to bring you all in and integrate you into the pack or let you move on, if you could get somewhere safely. But your alphas followed you in, and then …” he sighed. “I’m sorry that I’ve put you in this position, but I can’t undo it.”

As though they would have ever let them go. Kun bit his tongue. At least the apology seemed genuine. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

Kun shrugged. “I don’t have any reason not to believe you think that. But we’re here now. If you can’t undo it, what happens now?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Taeil pointed at the couch. “Do you mind if I sit?”

What was this. “It’s your room. It’s your house.” His pack, too.

Taeil shrugged. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m crowding you.”

Kun narrowed his eyes. What kind of angle was this? “Why not?”

Taeil blinked at him. “Because you shouldn’t have to feel more uncomfortable than you already do? I wish you didn’t feel uncomfortable at all, but I realize that I’ve put you in a terribly uncomfortable situation already. On top of that, you’re in a stranger’s bedroom with no one else around.”

“But why?”

Taeil stared at him. He seemed to be looking for something, but Kun didn’t have anything to hide. Taeil sighed. “Right. How’s this: practically speaking, the more uncomfortable you are, the less willing you will be to speak clearly. And we need to have an open and clear conversation about what is going to happen. But I would rather not stand against the door all night while we do that. So, do you mind if I sit on the couch?”

Kun opened his mouth, then closed it. “I—yes, that’s fine.” What did he do with an alpha who asked for things?

Taeil smiled like he’d won something. He took measured steps toward the couch, eyes on Kun the whole time. He perched on the arm of the couch.

“You don’t need to do that,” Kun found himself saying.

“Do what?”

“Watch me like I’m going to break if you do the wrong thing.” It itched at his skin. “I’m not fragile.”

“I don’t think you are.” Taeil cocked his head. “I think you must be strong. But as I said, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Kun huffed. His wolf felt like pacing, but that would not be productive right now. “What about my friends?”

“What about them?”

He waved. “You seem committed to this no-touching thing, but what’s going to happen to the others? And the girls who came with us.”

“I promise, your friends will not be harmed. The girls were taken to the largest residence we have, since there are extra rooms, where they’ll be hosted until we figure out a permanent place for them to stay.”

He seemed serious, and it wasn’t like Kun could get any better answers. He crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Right.” Taeil cleared his throat. “As I said, neither of us planned for this. However, according to the agreement we made with your old pack, the claims we made in front of them are binding and will need to be confirmed at future meetings, or they’ll have cause to say we’re breaking the treaty. And I think we both know what that would mean.”

“War,” Kun breathed. More injuries, more deaths. More bodies being carted away. Funerals for people much younger than his grandmother, wrapped in her white shroud while Chenle sobbed. He shook his head. “I see why you would want to avoid that.”

Taeil nodded. “I’m glad you agree. War isn’t something anyone with a clear head on their shoulders wants, but to be blunt, I don’t trust Veteris not to try something if they think that they have any advantage.”

“You shouldn’t,” Kun admitted. “The Alpha—Haejin—he might not want war, but he’s greedy, and there are plenty of stupid young fighting alphas who would jump at the chance for war without realizing what it means.”

Taeil crossed his arms. “Yes, that’s what we thought. So as much as I would want to not trap you with this, I’m afraid we’re both stuck in this mess.”

Kun felt more awake than he had in weeks, despite the confusion tugging at him. He licked his lips. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I don’t want to force you into anything,” Taeil started. “But I think I have a compromise we can agree on. In here, in this house,” he waved between them, “we can do whatever we want. But out there? We need to pretend to be courting. There will be people checking on us, and even if we only tried to tell Veteris that we were together, they could ask around and find proof. And I can’t ask my whole pack to lie for us, it just wouldn’t work.”

Kun nodded. “That makes sense.” He still burned, but something in him loosened every time this alpha spoke to him with respect and care. His wolf sat confused. He couldn’t fathom why, but surely he had no reason to lie in the safety of his own home. And it was logical. “That many people would just mess something up.” It certainly had in his pack.

“Exactly.” Taeil smiled for the first time since they had met. It made him look even more handsome and actually seemed genuine. “I don’t want to put too much on you, and I’m sure it won’t be forever. We just have to keep up a realistic facade that I’m courting you until we can figure out a loophole in that agreement or until we’re sure they don’t care.”

So if they didn’t figure something out they were stuck like this forever. The Alpha would never let it go. More chains wrapped tight around his chest. Kun swallowed. “Why do you keep saying we?”

“We’re in this together,” Taeil said simply. “I don’t want to be tied to someone who hates me any more than I’m sure you don’t want to be tied to me.”

Kun nodded slowly. Truly, what were his choices? Start a war where Chenle would be in the crossfire? “I’ll do it.” He wedged his hands between his knees. “On one condition.”

“What’s that?” Taeil leaned in.

“I know this might not be possible,” Kun started. “I’m not going to hold you to an impossibility. But I left family over there. If you get an opportunity to bring them over here, I want you to take it.” It could be his only chance.

“Ah.” Taeil nodded. “That’s fair. I don’t know when or if I would get a chance, either, but we can work on it. Do your friends have family over there?” he asked.

Kun shook his head. “No one they’re close to. It’s mostly just us.” He did not want to add that mess to everything else in his head.

“Well.” Taeil stood. “It’s very late. That wasn’t very considerate of any of us. I should let you sleep.” He paused and cocked his head. “I don’t think I ever caught your name.”

Kun swallowed. “Kun. My name is Qian Kun.”

If he recognized the surname, he didn’t say anything. Taeil opened the bedroom door and beckoned to him. “I have a guest room down the hall you can use.”

It took longer than necessary for Kun to process that. He grabbed his bag and scurried out of Taeil’s room. Taeil led him down the hall. The guest room was simpler than Taeil’s room, but still larger than any room he’d spent nights in before.

“The bathroom is at the end of the hall.” Taeil pointed in the right direction. “You won’t be interrupting or waking me up if you use it, or if you get up early. Please, feel free to use anything in the house. Just ask me if you don’t know where something is or if you need something and I’ll get it for you or show you where it is.”

Kun nodded slowly, arms wrapped around his middle. “Thank you,” he said, because it was the only trace of manners he had left in all this.

Taeil smiled at him. “Good night, Kun.” He closed the door and left Kun alone.

Kun grabbed his toiletries out of his bag. He waited until he couldn’t hear Taeil moving around anymore before he crept to the bathroom. Like many other things here, it was larger and cleaner than the dorms he’d left, a full bathroom with a sink on one side and bathtub and toilet on the other. Kun set everything on the sink and started brushing his teeth. There was open space on one of the shelves. Taeil had said to use the house like his own. It didn’t quite sit right, but Kun left his toiletries on the shelf when he slipped back to the guest room.

Once he was safely locked in, everything hit like a boulder. Kun held off the shaking until he was safely under the covers with a pillow ready to muffle any sounds he made. What was he going to do? This night had been too much. For once, Kun succumbed to sleep without listening.


	5. Chapter 5

Kun woke to warm daylight on soft sheets. How long had it been since he’d had such a rest? He sat up. The room looked different in daylight. It was still larger than he needed, the furniture still held more than he could ever fill, but this morning it was just a room. Kun peeled himself out of the bed and went digging in his bag. He had at least been able to pack all of his clothes. He dressed and crept out of the room. Would Taeil be there?

He needn’t have worried. He couldn’t hear or scent Taeil anywhere in the house once he opened the door. A note waited for him on the floor in front of the threshold.

_Good morning,_

_I’ve been asked to take care of something this morning, so I had to leave before you woke. I wanted to talk to you more about our agreement, but it can wait for this evening. I’ve asked Dejun to escort you this morning. You haven’t met him yet—or, you did, he was one of the guards last night, but you weren’t introduced—but I think you’ll like him, he’s very polite. Not that I know what you like, but most people like Dejun. He’ll pick you up and take you to your friends for a tour._

_As I said before, what’s mine is yours in the house. I just refilled the food stores before you came, so there’s plenty of food. If you have particular preferences, please let me know and I’ll start looking for those things._

_Taeil_

Kun weighed the note in his palm. It was heavier than the paper it was written on. At least he didn’t have to face Taeil or the deal he’d made just yet. He checked the time. Dejun wouldn’t arrive for a while, surely. He set down the note and took advantage of the opportunity presented to him.

He had only seen the living room and bedrooms last night. Most of the other rooms looked like offices. Kun wandered through every room he could find, but eventually, his stomach drew him to the kitchen. It, too, was large, clean, and neat. Did Taeil have a maid, or did he actually clean up after himself? He had at least done a decent job of stocking his shelves. Kun picked through his options until he had what he needed for a couple of sandwiches. If Taeil had said he could eat whatever he wanted, who was he to question it?

Someone knocked on the door not long after he had finished eating and cleaned up. When he opened the door, a vaguely familiar face smiled back at him. Dejun, or at least Kun assumed this must be Dejun, had to be about Mark’s age. Just old enough to be a guard, though Kun’s nose said Dejun was a beta. He was about Ten’s height, light brown hair over a handsome face.

Dejun bowed. “Good morning. Taeil said your name is Kun? It’s nice to meet you properly this time. I hope Taeil told you I was coming. I’m Xiao Dejun, I’m going to be your escort until you’re more comfortable here.”

“He did.” Kun shifted his weight. Whether Taeil was here or not, he had made an agreement. “Thank you for introducing yourself, though. Manners would tell me to invite you in, but this isn’t my house.”

Dejun waved his hands. “It’s fine, really. I can wait out here until you’re ready, or we can just go, if you’re ready now. I’m supposed to take you to the others.”

As if he would be ready for any of this. Kun nodded. He stepped out and closed the door. “Let’s just go, then.” The doorknob didn’t seem to have a mechanism attached. “Does this door lock?”

Dejun shook his head, backing up to give Kun space. “We don’t have many locks around here.”

“Why not?” Kun reluctantly let go of the door knob. “Isn’t that unsafe?”

Dejun shrugged. “Not really. It’s not like we don’t know each other around here, so if someone stole something it would be pretty easy to figure out. But we don’t really have a problem with thievery, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“But what about—” Kun cut himself off when Dejun cocked his head, looking for all the world like a puppy. Dejun couldn’t be that experienced a guard. Maybe he hadn’t ever been attacked. He could always ask Taeil. Or whoever gave the tour. There was no need to bother Dejun if he hadn’t already mentioned it. “No, never mind.”

He fell into step with Dejun as they headed down the block. “Did you sleep well?” Dejun asked.

Kun shrugged. “As well as can be expected in a new place.” Better than he had in weeks, actually. Even when Chenle had snuck into bed with him, Kun had laid awake most of the night listening to his cousin’s steady breathing. “Where are we going?”

“Oh, right.” Dejun fumbled with something in his pockets. “Sicheng and Yuta—I think you met them last night?—they're supposed to give you all a tour of the village. I was asked to pick you up, since I’m going to be guiding you a little longer. Someone else is getting the others.”

How long was a little longer? Kun followed Dejun back to the council house from last night, or whatever they called it here. They were the first to arrive; Dejun paced the length of the front wall. Kun perched on the house steps. In the morning light, the village looked quite nice. It was certainly cleaner than his old village. Chenle would like the wide streets. Biyu would have enjoyed the whole place; she’d always hated mess.

Kun clasped his hands in his lap. He would save Chenle. To do that, he had to play nice. Worrying about Biyu wouldn’t help with that. He just had to pretend to enjoy everything he hated. Simple.

Ten jogged up a few minutes later, escorted by a very tall beta. They seemed to be chatting calmly. Ten had always been good at integrating himself wherever he wanted to be. He dashed over when he spotted Kun. The alpha stopped when he saw Dejun. Dejun turned at the end of his cycle and paused.

“Good morning, Yukhei.” Were his ears pink?

Yukhei grinned. “Hi, Dejun. I didn’t realize you were on escort duty, too.”

“Oh. Yeah, Taeil asked me to show Kun around since he’s busy today.”

Yukhei glanced over. Briefly. “That’s cool!”

Cute as young love was, it wasn’t really his priority right now. Kun waved at Ten. “Hi.”

Ten dropped to sit right next to him. “I see you survived the night.” He leaned to whisper in Kun’s ear. “Do I need to kill someone?”

“He didn’t touch me,” Kun whispered back. “I’ll tell you the rest later, but … I think this might be survivable?” 

Ten hummed. “That’s good.”

“What about you?” Taeyong had seemed the mildest of the council, but who knew.

Ten shrugged, looking distant. “We’ll see. But this is definitely better than what we left behind.”

Perhaps. Dejun came over to greet Ten. He seemed perfectly happy to introduce himself and chat while they waited. Jaehyun didn’t take long to catch up. He was escorted by the tall beta from last night—Johnny, someone had said—who didn’t touch, but hovered near and pointed things out. Jaehyun still seemed to be in mild shock. Johnny left him there after a quiet hello and wave in their direction and a brief conversation with Dejun. There wasn’t room on the steps for Jaehyun, but Ten stood up to let him sit. Jaehyun leaned into Kun immediately, setting his head on Kun’s shoulder. Kun patted his hair.

“Is he okay?” he mouthed at Ten, who shrugged. Jaehyun just snuck closer to Kun.

Dejun padded over carefully. Yukhei had left sometime while Kun hadn’t been paying attention. “Is he alright?” he asked quietly. “I don’t think Johnny would leave him here if he’s sick but if he’s not feeling good, this could probably wait.”

“I’m okay,” Jaehyun said into Kun’s shoulder. “I’m just tired. And very confused. I stayed up a little late last night.”

“Ah.” Dejun frowned. “Are you sure?”

Jaehyun nodded. Kun shrugged when Dejun glanced at him. Jaehyun could be stubborn when he wanted to be. Dejun didn’t look happy, but he returned to pacing. Mark, Sicheng, and Yuta walked up together pretty quickly after Johnny left. The two had squished Mark between them, but he didn’t look uncomfortable there. It looked more like the kind of hold Jaehyun and Ten would sometimes give Mark. 

Mark came over and hugged each of them before latching onto Ten. Sicheng smiled.

“So we were thinking we would take you around once to make sure you know where everything is,” Yuta started, rubbing his hands together, “then take a break for lunch. After, we can go look at things you’re more interested in, like if there’s a place you would like to work.”

Did this pack allow omegas to be healers? It shouldn’t have mattered. Kun stood. Jaehyun still wanted to be close, so he ended up in the middle of the group as Sicheng and Yuta led them out. Dejun took up the rear as they started pointing out residences.

The houses were built a little differently than the ones in Veteris—he didn’t know anything about building houses, but they seemed sturdier. The streets were cleaner, and each house had enough space for a little lawn. How sweet. The residential area seemed confined to one area in the center. They went through a busy market area next.

Veteris didn’t have anything like this; People set up stalls with various goods, from linens to food, and a crowd of others he didn’t know moved between them. They moved around the edge of it.

“This doesn’t happen every day,” Yuta told them. “We set the market cycle to sync with the hunters so everyone can get fresh meat as well as other things.”

Ten cocked his head. “How does it work? Does everyone have to trade something?”

Yuta shrugged. “We have currency, but if you create something you can always try trading. Come see.”

Mark and Jaehyun both looked remarkably like small children as they made their way through the market, staring at everything with wide eyes. Kun couldn’t lose himself in questions with strange eyes on them; particularly not with a guard at his back. He hooked his arm through Mark’s.

They went through the working part of town next. It seemed to be a circuit, winding out from the center of town toward the edges. It was probably useless for Kun to note the places where weaving and linens had a home, but he couldn’t help it. Even Ten paused at the weaving. Sicheng explained in the quiet way that unnerved Kun, that the weavers got fibers from gatherers, gardeners, and their own stores, that they made most of the linens stored nearby which were used to make things like clothes and bandages, and that they made artistic pieces with whatever was leftover. Ten lingered, almost falling to the back of the group before Kun tugged him away.

Mark came to a dead stop when they reached the garden. Kun had never seen anything like it, either. Flowers, herbs, vines, food plants—what Veteris had made them scrounge through forest for, this pack grew in one place. Mark bent to sniff at a bunch of roses. “What is this?”

“It’s the garden?” Dejun sounded confused behind them. Kun bristled. It wasn’t like any of them had seen one before; he bit his tongue to keep the words in.

“I know what a garden is.” Mark touched one of the flowers gently. “But you mix useful plants with flowers?”

“Hey, flowers are useful.” Yuta walked backwards toward a small building at the corner. “Don’t discount them just because they’re pretty and they smell nice.”

The medicinal purposes were also a plus, but Kun was more interested in the way Mark stared at Yuta. Like he had said something groundbreaking. Yuta disappeared for a moment and came back with the head gardener, an alpha. She seemed very pleasant and was even patient with all of Mark’s questions. Kun didn’t know what to make of it, as they moved on to the small school. Jaehyun remained quiet, too. Kun rubbed shoulders with him and only got a mild smile in response. They moved on. He could ask later; they’d have to get privacy eventually, right?

Sicheng had led them in a perfect path to end at what looked like a group eating area. Someone Kun didn’t recognize waited for them at the edge with a basket. He handed it to Yuta, waved at the rest of them, and walked off. A few others scattered around the lawn, eating in small groups. Sicheng led them out to a small open spot near the center of town. It almost looked like part of the forest, with trees growing tall from the grass, protected by a low fence. A family with a pair of young children played together near one end. They gathered at the other end of the ellipse, collecting themselves and the food under a pair of trees.

Sicheng passed around small packed lunches from the basket. Kun unwrapped tightly-packed onigiri, as did the others. Dejun sat with Sicheng and Yuta under the tree opposite them, far enough that they couldn’t hear what the omegas were saying but presumably close enough to reach them if something happened.

“So.” Kun leaned against the tree. “How were your nights?”

Ten eyed him. “Shouldn’t we be asking you that? You were pretty tense last night.”

He shrugged. “I’ll get to mine. I’m more worried about the rest of you. Was everything okay?”

Mark shrugged. Jaehyun looked at Ten. “You seemed set up for the more interesting night.”

Ten picked a few blades of grass. “It was interesting,” he said finally. “I didn’t know what to expect, but he was really nice. I walked in and he was already there trying to clean up and he got flustered that I had shown up that quickly.” He started braiding the grass. “We talked a bit, he showed me where to sleep. He didn’t even mention a legal bond, just asked if I wanted to get to know him. It was almost cute.”

“So you like him?” He couldn’t find much of an appetite. Kun set his food aside.

Ten shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s cute and he’s polite and he’s not a posturing alpha, and he didn’t presume anything. So it could be much worse.”

Ten had a point. Kun shrugged.

“What about you?” Ten poked him. “What happened with you?”

Kun sank his fingers into the grass. “I told you, he didn’t touch me. He said he’s not a rapist, and that he doesn’t want me unless I want him. So that was one less thing to worry about. We made a deal.”

“What kind of deal?” Jaehyun

“He made a very good point about the political mire we’ve found ourselves in, even if it was his fault for choosing me.” Logic or not, the whole thing still grated. Kun picked at the grass. “So we agreed to pretend he’s courting me until we can figure out something better.”

Jaehyun nodded. Mark was still quiet. Ten frowned. “That seems a little risky.”

Kun shrugged. “Do I have a better choice?”

“I suppose not.” Ten tossed his little braid to the ground.

Kun turned to Mark. “But never mind me, are you okay?”

“Me?” Mark pointed at himself. “Why?”

“You didn’t talk the whole time we were traveling,” Ten pointed out. “Since they told us what would happen. You only seemed to respond to Jungwoo. That’s his name, right?”

Mark nodded. “Jungwoo, yeah.”

“Did anything happen?” Kun asked carefully.

Mark shrugged. “It was pretty quiet, actually. I fell asleep on his couch.”

Jaehyun snorted.

“It’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” Mark admitted. “I was worried, too, but I was also really tired. So when Sicheng showed me where to go, I just sat on the couch and then I fell asleep.” He shrugged gain. “I woke up with a blanket over me and food on the table.” He tugged at his lower lip. “I’m not sure what to think of that.”

They all shrugged. “We’ll have to see, I guess.” They all looked at Jaehyun. Kun nudged him. “How are you feeling?”

He stayed quiet, chewing on his lip. Jaehyun dropped onto his back with a dramatic sigh. “I’m so confused,” he admitted. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

“What’s going on is you were claimed by an alpha,” Ten cocked his head, “whose mate doesn’t seem to mind. Or did he have another reason for walking you over here?”

Jaehyun shook his head. “No, they were both perfectly polite. I just don’t get it. Why would they do that when they already have each other?”

Kun put a hand on Jaehyun’s knee. “Did they say anything about it? What they want from you?”

Jaehyun shrugged. “We talked. I’m still confused.”

“How so?”

He shook his head. “It’s just … this whole thing is insane. I still can’t believe we’re here.”

Ten asked him a few more questions, but Jaehyun didn’t seem to be in a talkative mood. They finished lunch, though Kun picked at his food the whole time. Sicheng collected their trash into the basket before they left.

It was like a dream to walk into their healing house. Large, light, airy, clean; it was twice as big as the Veteris healing house. Berths lined both walls and still left space in the center for people to walk. A few people sat in berths, as well as one wolf. Healers bustled around. There didn’t seem to be that many of them. Kun held still as the others peered around. He remembered the stories Biyu had told about working as a healer. This place would have been like a dream to her.

One of the healers spotted them and hurried over, wiping off his hands on a bit of linen. “Welcome.” He held up one of his hands. “I would shake your hands but I don’t think you want to chance touching what I have on me right now, even if I cleaned myself.”

He seemed young, around Mark’s age or younger. Older than Chenle, at least; it wasn’t even that much younger than Kun, but he felt so much older.

“I’m Jeno. I’m one of the healers here. You all must be our new pack mates.” He smiled until his eyes crinkled. The others introduced themselves while Kun tried to get himself together. 

Jeno turned to him. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Kun had to smile back. “I’m Qian Kun.”

“Qian?” Jeno perked up. “From the Vetus Qians?”

Kun nodded. Jeno’s smile grew. “I don’t suppose you have any interest in healing?”

Oh, that cut. “I was training to be one, actually.” Kun gestured vaguely. “Or as much as they would let me. Before we came here.”

Jeno cocked his head. “As much as they would let you?”

Jeno smelled like a beta, so maybe he wouldn’t have any idea. Kun shrugged. “Veteris only lets betas be healers. The only reason they let me anywhere near the healing house is because of my family.”

Jeno frowned. “Why wouldn’t they let omegas be healers? That’s just stupid.”

“You’re preaching to the choir here,” Ten muttered.

“Well, you should still talk to Jihyo.” Jeno turned to wave at someone across the room. The woman, short and lovely, waved back and made her way over.

She smiled at them all. “I see we have guests. Are any of them injured?” 

Jeno shook his head. “No, these are our new pack mates. They’re here on a tour. This is Jihyo.” Jihyo waved gently. She was an omega.

Kun held his breath as Jeno introduced each of them. “And this is Qian Kun,” he gestured to Kun last.

She cocked her head. “Of the Vetus Qians?”

Kun nodded again. “I didn’t realize we were known to other packs.”

She shrugged. “Family lines that transcend pack borders often are. Does that mean what I think it means?”

“He was in training as a healer in his old pack,” Jeno was practically vibrating.

Jihyo’s gaze locked on him. “May I ask how much training you received?”

“Oh, uh.” He had to think back to the actual apprentices and their training regimen. “At the healing house, I mostly took stock and did small things like set wounds, but my grandmother was a healer when she was younger. The last thing she taught me was this salve that casts over the wound until it’s closed.”

She brightened. “Oh, that’s very good. Would you be willing to start tomorrow? It sounds like you’d covered most of the basics, so it wouldn’t take us very long to get you trained up and working on actual patients.”

Kun choked. He waved them off when both of the healers rushed forward. “I’m okay.” He just never expected an omega healer in a dreamlike healing house to offer him a job. He coughed a few more times to cover until he could speak. They were all looking at him.

“Yes,” he choked out. “I mean, I don’t really know what we’re supposed to be doing in the next few days? But I would like that, yes, if you’ll have me.”

“It’s not just if,” Jeno told him. “We would love to have you. We don’t have enough healers. Not that we need a whole cohort or anything, but stuff happens, you know?”

Kun nodded. “I do.” Better than most.

Jihyo clapped her hands. “Excellent. I hope to see you in here tomorrow, then.” She glanced around. “Dejun can let us know if plans change, but we should be able to get started right away.”

Kun nodded slowly, almost in a daze. Yuta led them out. Ten, Mark, and Jaehyun pressed close to him to pull him along. He could practically feel Dejun and Sicheng watching him, but he didn’t want to think about how it looked right now. Kun held onto Jaehyun’s arm as they continued touring. He needed something to keep him sane.


	6. Chapter 6

The second half of the tour started out almost mundane. Sicheng and Yuta, hand-in-hand, led them to another area where the hunters stored and treated the meat and other food they brought back. In a shocking display of sense, the communal meals and larger food preparation went on right next door. It seemed like good information.

Then Sicheng led them toward part of the forest. They didn’t actually cross the edge of town, but they were uncomfortably close to their entrance point last night when he brought them to an open-air complex The sharpest building they had seen yet, walls standing firm around an open yard. The walls were thicker than Kun had thought when they approached; as they entered, he spotted a long hall through the open doors on either side. The open center was a smaller version of the courtyard they had seen earlier, with fewer obstructions. A rack of weapons stood in one corner.

A group of guards stood around in the center. Kun recognized a few of them from last night, including Yukhei. The mix of scents confused his nose again. Alphas, yes, but beta scents he recognized from last night, and omegas that weren’t he and his friends. When Yukhei shifted toward another of the guards, Taeyong appeared. What was he doing here? Was he the only one?

Taeyong grinned when he spotted them. “Hey, there you are. End of the tour?”

“Close to it.” Sicheng pulled Yuta gently to the side. “This is where the guards train. There are rooms inside for further storage and other things, but we spend a lot of time out here.” He waved. “We obviously don’t want any more people getting hurt, so we stick on this side of the town.”

They didn’t move any further in despite the potential invitation. Taeyong pulled Yukhei and his friend over to make introductions. Many of the names flew over Kun’s head, but some stuck—mostly those he had recognized from the night before. Donghyuck and Renjun, both dark-haired and shorter. Jaemin, taller, who stuck close to them and to Yukhei. Three alphas. Felix, a beta, hung back slightly from them. Some were older, some younger; some friendly, some not. It seemed a fair mix, whatever he thought of them.

Mark and Jaehyun both seemed content to stand behind Kun and watch, but Ten marched right over to Taeyong to ask questions. He practically interrogated the other about the makeup of the guard. Kun might have joined him, if he could have thought past the healing house.

“So you run this whole group?”

Taeyong shrugged. “Technically, Dawon is in charge, but they’re more concerned with overall logistics. So—sort of, yes.”

Ten crossed his arms. “How did that happen? I would have thought you’d have been walled off from such a position immediately.”

Taeyong glanced into the crowd of guards. “It wasn’t exactly the most popular decision they ever made, no. But I fought for it.”

“You mean weaseled your way into it?” One of the alpha guards called. 

Taeyong’s nostrils flared, but a cold mask settled over his face. “I mean I earned it, Byungwon, and if you want me to prove it, keep talking.”

Ten turned to the group where Byungwon stood. “You think someone can weasel into a high position?” His stance shifted, weight going onto one leg like he did just before going after one of the alphas on a hunt. Kun stepped over to elbow him. Ten put a hand on his shoulder but didn’t look away.

Byungwon snorted. “I think you should take your peek in here for what it is and go work in the kitchen or somewhere you’d actually be useful, rather than trying to deal with something you have no business being involved in.”

“Oh, is that what you think?” Ten’s nails dug into Kun’s shoulder for just a moment. “What makes you so useful here, hmm?”

His chest puffed out. “I’m a guard. We protect you, so you can do whatever it is that makes you useful to this pack rather than wherever you came from.”

“Oh, yeah?” Ten released Kun’s shoulder. “You, protect me? I don’t think so.” He turned to Taeyong. “Do you have any room for a new trainee?”

Taeyong inspected him. “Are you willing to put in the work?”

“Absolutely.” Ten stood straight and tall on both feet.

Taeyong stared him down with an intensity Kun would have thought reserved for alphas. Finally, he nodded. “Come in tomorrow and we’ll see how you do.”

“Thank you.” Ten flipped Byungwon off and dragged the rest of them out of there. Sicheng, Yuta, and Dejun took the rear and closed the door behind them. Ten let go of Mark and Jaehyun and burst into motion. “Did I really just do that?”

“That’s what I want to know.” Dejun and Yuta seemed surprised at the display, but Sicheng had an incredible poker face. Kun didn’t try to stop Ten from pacing. “Did you even think about how that could have gone down?”

“Not really.” Ten gave an almost hysterical laugh. “He just pissed me off.”

Jaehyun had been quiet this whole time, but he slid in front of Ten. Kun poked the other quiet one. Mark just shrugged at him. “Are you okay?”

Ten pulled up short. He brought his hands together until they stopped shaking. He rolled his shoulders. “You know, I think I might be.”

***

Kun somehow felt just as tired by dinner time as he had before he went to bed the night before. Maybe it was the constant shock. Sicheng, Yuta, and Dejun had kept them out all day. Nothing had taken his mind off the healing house.

“Dinner here isn’t mandatory,” Yuta was explaining, “but it’s a nice way to catch up with friends and see what everyone is getting up to.”

“There’s also the fact that everyone knows who comes and who doesn’t,” Sicheng added quietly. “So attendance or lack thereof can become a statement.”

The courtyard was wide open, with low, wide tables spread out over the packed dirt. There were more people than he had expected. Something about the rumors of war made it sound like this pack was small. It wasn’t. People milled around, grabbing food, talking to each other, moving between tables without care for presentation. Everyone sat wherever they wanted at the different tables.

Sicheng led them toward the tables of food. “Part of the reason everyone knows who comes is that every family usually brings something.” He pointed to one end. “Plates are here, take whatever you want.”

Yuta skipped ahead for food. When they caught up, Kun found plenty of options for food. He stuck with chicken and potatoes as a safe option. After everyone had food, they made for an empty table. “It doesn’t matter where you sit, either,” Yuta added after glancing at them. “Just who you want to sit by.”

They settled at an empty table near the edge of the courtyard. Kun found himself wedged between Mark and Jaehyun, with Ten across from him. Dejun sat next to Ten. The two had kept talking throughout the day. Sicheng and Yuta sat across from each other next to both lines at the end of the table. Kun picked at his food.

At the next table over, just a foot away, sat Taeil with the rest of the younger pack leaders. He glanced over as though feeling eyes on him. Kun froze. Taeil waved and went back to his meal.

What was going on? Kun tried to get himself to eat. The food looked good, at least, and it had been prepared for an entire pack, so they couldn’t be trying to poison interlopers. He just couldn’t find much of an appetite.

He jerked back when a fork came flying onto the table right in front of his plate. Kun turned. Renjun and one of the pack members he didn’t know stared at his table with open mouths. He pointed at the fork. Renjun nodded. Kun wasn’t about to touch it, so he raised an eyebrow.

Taeil stepped over to their table. He kept a polite distance from each of them as he leaned over to get the fork. “I’m sorry about the kids,” he said gently. “They seem to both think this is theirs.”

“Hey!” The one Kun didn’t know scrambled over with Renjun on his heels. “We’re adults, don’t call us kids.”

“Right.” Taeil held the fork above the table. “That’s why you’re fighting over whose fork this is when we all know it came from Donghyuck’s table, hmm?”

“We know that,” he whined. The boy had come close enough for Kun to tell he was a beta. “That was kind of the point. He threw it at us and ran off.”

Taeil rolled his eyes with a small smile. “If I give this back, will you stop fighting over it?”

“Maybe.” Renjun gave a winning smile. “Will you give it to me?”

Taeil grinned. “Nope.” He tossed the fork sideways. Donghyuck, caught between tables for gods only knew what reason, caught it. “Are you done?”

Donghyuck shrugged. “Is dinner over?”

“No, because none of you will let me finish eating.”

“That’s fair.” Donghyuck waved his fork. “Go eat, then.”

Taeil apologized to their table again, to protests from the others, and went back to his table. Renjun dragged his friend over. “I’m sorry about that, we really didn’t mean to almost get you.”

Kun straightened. He hadn’t spoken to Renjun at the guardhouse, but he had seemed friendlier than some. “It’s alright. It sounds like you were pretty involved.”

Renjun laughed. “Yes, sorry.” He glanced behind him. “This is Yangyang, by the way.”

Yangyang waved before attaching himself to Yuta. “You’re all the people who came last night, right?”

“We’re half of them,” Jaehyun put his hand on Kun’s shoulder so he could turn to see them better. “Four girls came with us, but they’re sitting somewhere else.”

Yangyang started looking around. Renjun glanced at Ten across the table. “That was a brave thing you did earlier,” he said. “I don’t think any of us expected it.”

Ten actually flushed, but he didn’t look down. “I didn’t expect it, either, but I’m glad I did it.”

“I think we all are. Byungwon’s an ass.” Renjun came around the table. He wedged himself between Ten and Sicheng. “Have you always been interested in this kind of work?”

Ten answered that he hadn’t, which started Renjun on the history of their guards. It was kind of cute, the way he lit up talking about his pack. Kun went back to his chicken and potatoes as Yangyang introduced himself to Mark. It tasted pretty good.


	7. Chapter 7

Kun kept his arms tight over his chest as he entered Taeil’s house for the second time in two days. Should he just call it his house, too? But it wasn’t home. He toed off his shoes at the door. Taeil had not walked back with them, though he had finished eating at the same time. Had he had something else to do, or was that consideration for Kun? He perched on the couch. Much as he wanted to escape, there were things they needed to discuss.

Taeil arrived after only a few minutes, pushing the door open gently. He nodded when he saw Kun on the couch.

“Good evening,” he said. He closed the door and came into the center of the room, keeping a wide distance from Kun. “Did you have a good day?”

Was this going to be a normal conversation? Kun nodded slowly. “Your guards are very polite.”

“I would hope they are.” Taeil dropped into a seat across from him. “Did you find something you like while you were out?”

He didn’t want to say it. Kun clenched his hands. But if he didn’t ask, he wouldn’t be able to go at all. “We had an interesting time at the healing house.”

Taeil nodded, humming. “They want you to come down for training tomorrow, right? That’s great, if you want to.”

“But why?”

Taeil looked confused. “Do you not want to? Jeno seemed pretty convinced that you wanted to be a healer. You don’t have to just because they want you, it’s okay if there’s something else you would rather do.”

“No, I mean—” how was he supposed to express that he fundamentally did not understand their pack structure? “Why is it even in consideration? I’m an omega.”

“So?” Taeil cocked his head. “You’re a good healer, right?”

It was everything he’d ever wanted to hear and yet it made no fucking sense. Kun burst off the couch. “That.” He still had the sense not to approach Taeil, but he gave in to his wolf’s wishes. They paced the length of the room, faster than was human. “That right there. That’s what makes no sense. How is this place not exactly like everything I’ve ever known? Why are you so different? You’re not supposed to let me want to be a healer. You’re not supposed to respect my space, or ask me questions, or any of that. No one else ever has. What makes this place so different?” He fought down growls so he could get the words out. “Why would you claim me in a deal with my pack and then tell me you’re not interested in touching me? What sense does that make? Why do you let omegas on your council? None of this makes any sense.”

Taeil sat still, watching Kun pace like some hunters watched wounded animals. “I imagine this is all very confusing for you,” he started quietly after apparently waiting for Kun to talk again. “And I’m sorry for my part in it. Truly, I am sorry to have gotten you stuck in this position. You’re right that things are different here. We’re not perfect, but I suppose you’re right to be surprised. We weren’t always like this, either. Several generations ago, powerful pack members started making changes that have allowed us to evolve into what you see today. I’m sorry that you had to grow up in a pack where you weren’t allowed to be yourself.”

So it was luck fueled by time. It didn’t soothe, but it at least answered the why that had set him off. “I suppose it would be a bit much for this place to be a mass conspiracy by everyone to trick us.”

Taeil didn’t laugh, but he did smile. “Yes, I think that would be going a bit far. Much easier for us to just be telling the truth, hm?”

“Yes.” That didn’t mean he knew how to reconcile it. Kun sighed. He was exhausted all over again. “That does make sense. It’s just a lot to adjust to.”

“And we’re asking you to adjust very quickly.” Taeil spread his hands. “It’s difficult, I’m sure.”

Kun laughed. It came out bitter. “That’s an understatement.” To have his dream dangled in front of him, on top of everything else?

“So, does that mean you do want to be a healer?”

Kun sat back on the couch with a sigh. The couch felt much softer against his back. Like he could rest there. “Being a healer is about all I’ve ever wanted.” Aside from freedom, but he wasn’t about to share that with this stranger. It wasn’t like he was going to get it, anyway. “But you probably gathered that already.”

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to assume.”

“Well, now you know. Yes, I would like to join the healers starting tomorrow unless there’s a reason I shouldn’t.” It still grated to have to ask, but he didn’t know how far the terms of their deal went. Kun twisted his fingers together.

“No, that should be fine.” Taeil worried at his lip. “Though more generally, that is something I want to talk to you about.”

“What do you mean?” Kun drew himself up.

“The deal we made—we haven’t really talked about what it would entail. I want to make sure we’re both clear.”

“Oh.” Kun sagged. “Yes, I wanted to ask about that, too. What does it mean?”

“Right.” Taeil clapped his hands. “So, you’ve already noticed that our pack is pretty different. Technically, claims like the ones we agreed to with your pack are legal, but they’re practically unheard of anymore. So everyone already finds this a little odd.”

“I can actually see that, yeah.” Some, like Jeno and Jihyo in the healing house, had acted normally, but a lot of people they passed had stared. “So what does that mean for us?”

Taeil shrugged. “No one knows you or your pack well, but they do know me. There are expectations for what I’d do in a situation like this, which is court you gently.”

“How does that relate to this?” he waved at the house. “Or is it normal for courting people to live in the same house in your pack?” Technically, his pack had been very old-fashioned about courting. Realistically, very few courting periods lasted.

Taeil shook his head. “No, that part’s unusual, but we don’t really have a better place for you to stay because housing is by family here, and it would take a long time to build you something new. We could try to work something out?”

“Okay, then.” Kun steeled himself. “Since we clearly come from very different standards of courting, I need you to tell me exactly what you mean by that.”

“Are you asking me what I’m going to do to court you?” Taeil asked, something unreadable in his gaze. “Or are you asking about politics?”

“The second one.” Kun fidgeted.

“Okay.” Taeil sat back. Something about his aura relaxed, became thoughtful. “We’re not mated yet, obviously. That would take a ceremony and exchanging bites. But because of the way you came into the pack, in the eyes of the pack, we’re considered practically bound until either a ceremony or one of us ‘breaking’ that bond.”

Kun cocked his head. “So it’s like I already said yes to you but we haven’t actually bound anything legally?”

“Kind of. I’m going to treat this like any other courting, but if you’re asking how people might react, you will probably be expected to learn the ins and outs of being a pack leader’s mate, as you would if we were to fully bind ourselves end up sitting on the pack council.”

“Sitting on the what now?”

“Sitting on the pack council,” Taeil repeated. “That’s part of why this is considered so different. It takes a long time to train someone to join the council, so anyone who accepts courting from the council members has to start training themselves as soon as they’re sure.”

Kun bristled. “Does this apply to the others as well?” A seat on the council? He shoved down the panic. That wouldn’t do anyone any good.

Taeil shrugged. “Technically? It’s somewhat a personal choice for council members, but I’m the heir.”

Kun cocked his head. “They called you that last night, too. Does that mean the same thing here?”

“Possibly? My parents lead the pack. If I prove myself, I will take their place someday.”

“So, it’s similar.” Kun sighed. It wasn’t like he had a choice about the rest of it, anyway. “What kind of things am I supposed to be learning?”

Taeil shrugged. “It somewhat depends on you and your skills. Since you’re a healer,” Kun couldn’t deny the flutter at those words, said so matter of factly, “you may end up overseeing things in that area, or you might find that you like logistics better, or something else. Mostly for now it’s learning the pack structure and laws, and then we might ask you to take on a few tasks to see what you do well with.”

“That doesn’t sound terrible.”

“Good.” Taeil grinned. “Now that we’ve established that—and I’m sure the council will be fine with taking second place to your training, everyone knows we need more healers—I did want to talk about the courting side.”

“Yes?” Why was he so tense?

“What are your boundaries for public interaction?” Taeil sat forward. “I don’t want to invade your space or touch you if you’re not comfortable with that, but I need you to tell me so I can make sure I don’t do something you aren’t comfortable with.”

Something loosened in his chest at that. “You don’t want us to act like some loving couple in public?”

Taeil laughed. “We barely know each other and I’m pretty sure you don’t like me. Being a loving couple would be unrealistic. Being civil would be nice. But like I said, I don’t want to make you more uncomfortable than you already are.”

It still baffled him, how an alpha could be so laid back. Kun shook his head. “You’re right. I don’t know you. You can probably guess what my experience with alphas has been in the past. I don’t trust anyone but my friends and family as a rule, and while I understand why we’re in the position we’re in, I’m not necessarily happy about it.” He took a breath. “I can be civil, yes. I think I can play along with whatever courting gestures you decide to go with.”

Taeil cocked his head. “But no touching you?”

Kun shrugged. “In public? If you have to sell it, I get that. But in private, no. I would prefer not to be touched.”

“Okay.” Taeil nodded. “Is there anything else you particularly don’t want?”

Just like that? Maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised. Kun considered. “I don’t think so? If I notice something,” he almost couldn’t believe he was saying this, “I’ll let you know.”

Taeil nodded and stood. “Do you want to use the bathroom first or would you rather stay in here for a bit?”

“I—” why was he even hesitating? Kun waved in Taeil’s general direction. “What about you?”

“Hm?”

He should have just kept his mouth shut. Kun shrugged. “You asked for my boundaries, but don’t you have any of your own?”

“Oh.” Taeil shrugged. “None that I can think of?”

What a strange alpha. Kun stood.

“So.” Taeil waved toward the hall. “Do you want to go or stay out here?”

“Oh. I’ll go now.” He hurried to the hallway. He thought he heard Taeil laugh, but it could just as easily have been a huff. He sped through washing up for the evening and slipped into the room that would be his for who knew how long. Taeil’s footsteps padded by after Kun had closed the door to his room. He must have been waiting.

Kun found sleep a little easier, though he still waited to hear a sound that would never come.


	8. Chapter 8

Kun hesitated outside the door to the healing house. Dejun waited patiently beside him. Kun had left the house before Taeil even seemed to be awake, only to find Dejun waiting for him in the early light. This was all going to turn out to be a dream. A dream inside a nightmare, surely, but a dream nonetheless. They couldn’t actually want him. That had been the theme of his nightmares last night, a departure from the usual ones.

Jeno clapped him on the back. “You’re here quite early, aren’t you?”

Kun controlled the urge to jump and snarl. “Yes. Sorry, I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be late.”

“No worries.” Jeno gave a smile that almost made his eyes disappear. “We can get you inside and show you around before Jihyo gets here to start your lessons.”

Jeno went to unlock the doors, greeting Dejun as he passed. He was so cheerful all the time, though Kun had only seen him twice. Chenle would like him. Kun shook it off and followed Jeno inside.

Jeno waved at the empty berths. “This is the main room, it’s pretty self-explanatory.” He pointed at a desk in the corner. “That’s about the only thing in town besides the council house that locks. Jihyo keeps some sensitive things in the drawers. We also have people check in there so we know how people are doing even if they don’t stay.”

He seemed to be waiting for a response. Kun nodded. “That’s sensible.”

“I think so, too! The storeroom is back here.” He led them to the back, where a door led to a very familiar sight. This pack kept their stores on different sides, but it really wasn’t that different. Jeno showed him where everything was stored while Dejun made a very polite shadow. They settled in to wait, Dejun taking desk seat.

Jihyo bustled through the doors not long after. “Oh, good, you’re both here already.” She went to her desk, smiling at Dejun when she saw him. “We can get started.”

“Where are the others?”

Jeno shrugged. “There aren’t many others. We have a few assistants as well, but with you, we’ll have five full healers. Most of them don’t need to come in this early, either. So it’ll just be the three of us for a while.”

That made sense, at least. They needed him. Kun rolled up his sleeves. “Where do we start?”

They started with a test, apparently. Jihyo made him run through everything he knew, and a few things he didn’t. Once they had determined how much Kun knew, the real lessons began. He met the other healers when they showed up, a mix of presentations. While the others worked, he stuffed his brain full of everything he’d ever wanted to know. Was this how Biyu had felt when she was first learning?

If he was quiet at dinner, for once, it wasn’t from anything but the good kind of exhaustion.

***

Kun took his bag when Jihyo told him they had done enough to earn a break. That spot in the little park had served them well enough. He paused by the corner Dejun still sat in. “I have a question for you.”

“Yes?” He popped upright.

“If you’re supposed to escort me to places, does that mean you follow me to lunch when I know where to go?”

He nodded, looking sheepish. “You already know most of your way around here, I’m sure. My job is more to help you than to show you things you’ve already seen.”

That wasn’t too surprising. Kun gripped his bag tighter. “I have another question then.”

“Okay?”

“Are you watching me for your council?” He held his breath after asking.

Dejun started and shook his head. “No, no, it’s more like the other way around.”

“What do you mean?”

He gestured vaguely. “There are some people—you remember the guy who pissed off Ten—he’s not the only one who wasn’t greatly pleased that we’d be getting new members.” Dejun shrugged. “It’ll probably be fine, but while you could probably use a guide for a few days, I’m really mostly here to make sure no one bothers you.”

He wasn’t sure what to do with that. Kun rocked back onto his heels. “So does that mean that you come with me to the park for lunch?”

Dejun nodded. “I can sit somewhere I won’t bother you, but yes, for now.”

“Thank you for that.” Kun stepped toward the door. “Let’s go, then.”

For all that they walked in silence, it wasn’t too uncomfortable. Dejun walked beside him at a polite distance and didn’t try to push him about anything. The park itself was pretty crowded, but the two trees they had gathered under before only had Ten, Mark, and Jaehyun under one. Dejun waved and took his own food to sit under the other tree.

Kun sat against the tree. “Is this our place then? It seems pretty quiet.”

“Maybe.” Mark came to sit next to him. “I like it.”

They didn’t talk while they ate this time. Kun, for one, was too hungry to talk.

“So,” Kun pushed his bag away once they were done. “How goes the guard?”

Ten brightened. “It’s been really cool so far. Taeyong put me through some tests and then he had Sicheng and Yukhei start training me.”

“Oh, aren’t you special, getting two teachers?” Jaehyun teased.

Ten rolled his eyes. “They said it’s because Sicheng is a calmer teacher to start with and then when I get better Yukhei will be a better opponent.”

Kun bit the inside of his lip. “Is it because he’s so tall?”

“Shut up.” Ten threw a napkin at him. “What’s it like healing people, then?”

“I’m not actually touching anyone yet.” He pulled at a few blades of grass. It was like a dream. “I don’t know what to make of it. They’re actually showing me things I’ve seen done but never been allowed to do.” He cleared the grass off his hands. “They can’t be making this up, but it’s so strange.” It was further proof of Taeil’s words, which was comforting. He nudged Mark. “You’ve been quiet. You liked the garden, right?”

“Yeah.” Mark bit into his sandwich. “Joohyun is really nice. I went over this morning to talk to her and she said she thought I would suit their space.”

It would be a good place for him. Kun ruffled Mark's hair. “That’s great.”

Ten poked Jaehyun’s knee. “What about you? Are you thinking about going somewhere? Or do you want to hang around for a little bit?”

Jaehyun squirmed. “I might have an idea, actually.”

His ears were red. Kun poked him, too. “What are you hiding?”

“I’m not hiding anything.” He poked at his food. “I didn’t really have any ideas when they took us around yesterday. I didn’t really like the gathering duty we had, but I’ve never really known what would be better. So, this morning Johnny went in to get some work done and Doyoung invited me for a walk.” He looked down at the food. “I don’t really know why, but he really wanted to and he was polite about it. We were walking around here, actually, and we ran into some kids.”

“What did they do?”

Jaehyun grinned. “Oh, they were just playing around, it was really cute. I ended up playing with them instead of talking to Doyoung.” He bit his lip. “I thought he’d be mad, but he just told me I was really good with kids and that the school could use someone to look after the kids.”

“Oh, Jaehyun, that would be perfect for you.”

“Really?” He looked so surprised. Kun couldn’t count the times he had seen Jaehyun trying to help a child, or watching parents with children. “I’ve never really dealt with kids.”

Ten glanced at Kun. “That’s only because all the parents back there hated us and refused to let us anywhere near their kids. Do you even know how many times you just sat near families just to watch their kids? Why even doubt it?”

Jaehyun looked at Mark.

Mark grinned. “You realize I’m not going to argue with them, right? Plus, after Kun you’re basically Chenle’s favorite.”

Well, that hurt. But it seemed to reassure Jaehyun. He settled back to finish the rest of his lunch. Kun packed away his trash and tried to settle into his new reality despite the spectre of his cousin.


	9. Chapter 9

When Taeil asked him to come to the council house, Kun needed a few seconds to remember that things were different here. And that he had agreed to it. He kept quiet as they approached the building. It still wasn’t as imposing as the one in his old village, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

Taeil held the door open for him. “Are you okay?”

Kun shrugged. Taeil’s scent blanketed him for just a moment as he entered the building. “I’ve just never been the biggest fan of places like this.”

It was supposed to be an offhand remark, but Taeil looked like he was considering it deeply. “That’s fair,” he said eventually.

The place didn’t look that different in daylight, only lighter with actual light coming through the windows. It was empty. He did notice a couple of doors that had slipped him by the last time he had been here. Kun paused in the center, where everything had happened.

“So what is it I’m supposed to be doing?” he asked, worrying at his lip. 

Taeil crossed to one of the other doors. “I was hoping to get you up to date on the rest of the pack structure and rules. I think you’ve picked up on some things, but there’s a lot still up in the air.”

“Right.” Kun followed Taeil in. His wolf perked up a bit as he passed. The small office they entered looked well-used. A desk sat in the center, bracketed by bookcases, and bore the remains of whatever meeting had been going on. Taeil waved Kun to the seat in front of the desk and started clearing the papers.

“Taehyun was having a meeting, I guess.” he put the papers in a drawer. “Anyway, like I said before, you’ve probably picked up at least some of the pack structure by now.”

“Are you talking about the mix of presentations?” Kun sat on the edge of the chair. “Because, yes, I’ve definitely picked up on that.”

Taeil chuckled. “Yes, that’s what I meant.” He crossed to one of the bookshelves. “I told you that we’ve made changes to the way things used to be. Those are actually written into the laws now.” He pulled out a book and came back to the desk. “You don’t have to memorize all of these, but it would be good to understand the basics.”

Kun took the book when Taeil offered it. The thick tome didn’t have a title on the front. He opened to a page at random. “The custom known as double claiming,” he read out, “will here be called ‘polyamorous claims’—continues to be allowed so long as all parties agree.” He glanced up. “Is that what’s going on with Jaehyun, Doyoung, and Johnny? He doesn’t really want to talk about it.”

Taeil sat on the edge of the desk. “That’s probably the hope, yes. But it’s between the three of them. Doyoung and Johnny haven’t said that much either.”

Well, at least they seemed to be taking care of Jaehyun even if they wouldn’t talk to their friends. Kun flipped through a few more pages. Most of what he read fell in line with the image Taeil painted of the pack. A lot went right over his head. “I don’t have to learn this immediately, do I?”

Taeil shook his head. “Honestly, you don’t have to learn them all by heart. I know—to be frank, I know more about our laws and customs than most of the council.” He laughed awkwardly. “It’s a personal interest. You’re welcome to learn whatever you want, but I can explain whatever you need to know at pretty much any time.”

Kun nodded slowly. So Taeil was a bit of a nerd. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but a tall beta pushed into the room. “Taeil, do you—oh.” He stopped.

“Hi, Gunwoo.” Taeil stood. “You haven’t met Kun yet. Kun, this is Gunwoo, one of our council members. Gunwoo, this is Kun, whom you didn’t get the chance to meet when he joined the pack.” Gunwoo nodded slightly.

Kun set aside the book. He stood with a smile that felt all too fake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m sure. It’s good to see you’re adjusting.” Gunwoo turned to Taeil. “Do you have the hunting report? I want to make sure that we’re not spending too much time in one area.”

Taeil shook his head. “My mother wanted to look at it. She’s probably still in the main room. I’m sure she’ll let you look at it.”

“Thank you.” He nodded again and left. He hadn’t looked at Kun once since first acknowledging his existence.

Kun sat back down and picked up the book. “Dejun says you asked him to look out for me because some people around here aren’t going to like me.”

“Yes.” Taeil went to close the door. “I really hope nothing happens, but we can’t control everyone and Dejun is good at defusing situations.”

Could he defuse council positions? “How long were you planning for that to continue?”

Taeil shrugged. “Until you feel comfortable enough to tell him to leave you alone, or until something happens and we defuse it.”

“That’s actually fair.”

“Thank you.” He looked extraordinarily pleased. “I wonder if Gunwoo got his report.”

That sparked something. Kun closed the book again. “You said your mother has the report?”

“Yes.” Taeil perked up. “You haven’t met her. Or, you have, but you didn’t really get time to talk at all. Sunmi? From the night you joined us.”

Sunmi? The alpha who had stepped in and backed down their handlers. “That was your mother?”

“Yes.” Taeil brought down another book off the shelf. “Yes, wasn’t she great? She was hoping not to have to step in as the Alpha, but I’m kind of glad she did because it sends a certain message to see her going at it.”

Kun almost dropped the book on his foot. “Are you telling me that your mother is the pack leader?”

“Yes?” Taeil put down his book. “What else was she doing then?”

“I don’t know, I just thought she was one of your council members. I didn’t realize she was the leader.” He wasn’t even sure why this of all things shocked him so badly. “What about your father?”

“Oh, he’s on the council, too. You wouldn’t have met him, though.” Taeil pushed the book to the edge of the table. “He was out with some of our other guards that night.”

“But—” how did he even word this politely. “Does your father not care about being pack leader?” In this strange pack, he couldn’t even begin to guess about his presentation.

“Not really. He is a competitive alpha type,” Taeil made a silly face, “but he gets plenty of that where he is and according to him my mom does a better job than he ever would.”

“I—okay then.” If he didn’t question it, it almost made sense. Kun pointed at the book. “Is that for me, too?”

“I thought you might find it interesting.” Taeil tapped the cover. “Nothing you need to memorize, but this talks a lot about pack customs and how they’ve evolved.” He passed it over. Kun balanced the smaller book on top of the huge law book. Taeil knocked on the desk. “Oh. You know what we should do? My mom’s probably still here, do you want to meet her?”

Kun reared back before he could fully process that statement. “Um. Not to be rude, but—”

“Too much?”

“It’s just.” He waved helplessly at the books. Why did he even feel guilty? It wasn’t like Taeil actually cared about Kun getting along with his parents. “Is it understandable that I’ve had a long few days of things to process?”

“Including this morning?” Taeil sat in the chair next to Kun. “It very much is.”

“Yes.” He stroked the cover of the history book. “I don’t know what you’ve already told your parents, but I think I want to be more prepared to actually meet them for the first time in whatever capacity that would be.”

“That’s fair.” Taeil cocked his head. “I don’t know if you’ll be able to avoid it that long, since we do all work together, but if you want to wait for the real “meet the parents” event, that’s fine.”

Kun nodded. “What did you tell them?”

“The truth.” Taeil leaned over. “Are there any of those laws you’d like to look at specifically?”

“Oh.” Kun moved the customs book and flipped through the law book. There would be plenty of time for everything else later.

***

Kun managed to continue his streak of getting out of the house before Taeil got up, aided by the images of his grandmother that drove him from bed too early most mornings. Most days, he shook it off by immersing himself in the work she had loved. Some days were harder. Kun moved through the preparations for patients by rote. Most of the people who came in needed minor help. More than he would ever have expected came as wolves—shifting in town apparently wasn’t an issue. He wrapped just as many paws as human hands.

Donghyuck shook Kun out of the daze he had wandered into, sitting at the desk. The guard bounded inside, to all appearances perfectly healthy. “Hi! Where’s Jeno?”

“He should be in the back. Are you okay?”

“Me? I’m fine.” He waved and disappeared into the back.

Kun turned to Dejun. “Does this happen a lot, healthy people wandering in here?”

Dejun shrugged. “Donghyuck wanders wherever he wants, but I’d guess not really.”

“Huh.” He didn’t have to wait long for answers; Donghyuck dragged Jeno out of the back room not long after. Both had mussed hair. Kun raised his eyebrows. “Urgent business?”

Donghyuck shrugged. “I missed my mate.”

Jeno sighed, but he didn’t seem to mind too much. “He’s not supposed to interrupt both our work days. But it’s not like we were doing that much before?”

“That’s true.” Kun hefted the book he was supposed to be reading. “I have things to read, but that’s because I don’t know anything.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true.” Donghyuck came over to peek at the book. “This isn’t about healing, though?”

“No.” Kun thumbed through some of the pages. “It’s about the history of pack customs. Taeil gave it to me. He thought I might find it interesting.” When he could focus, it made very good reading.

“Ooh.” Donghyuck grinned. “It’s not the courting gift I would have chosen, but it suits him.”

“Court—oh.” It would be seen like that, wouldn’t it? Kun smiled down at the book. “I suppose it does.”

“Oh, that’s so cute,” Donghyuck crooned. “Did you not realize? Was he not very obvious when he gave it to you? I keep telling him he has to be more straightforward about these things, but—”

“Hyuckie,” Jeno stepped in to cover Donghyuck’s mouth, “I think that’s enough. You’ve shaken Kun up enough for one day, don’t start in on Taeil, too.”

Donghyuck said something that was lost behind Jeno’s hand.

Jeno kissed his cheek. “I know you mean well, but we’re supposed to be focusing, and Kun can’t do that if you keep flustering him.”

He wasn’t flustered. Had he looked flustered? Kun flipped a couple of pages in the book. He had been thrown off by the suggestion of courting gifts, but of course Taeil would have to present him with something at some point.

Donghyuck pouted when Jeno removed his hand. “I suppose I can do that.” He kissed Jeno quickly. “But we have to sit with them at dinner, okay? I want to talk to Kun more.”

Jeno glanced over. “Is that okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be okay?” Kun waved. “Don’t you sit wherever you want?”

“Yes, but we wouldn’t want to—you know what, yes,” he kissed Donghyuck’s cheek, “I’m sure it’s fine, I’ll see you tonight.” Donghyuck waved dramatically on his way out.

“What was that about?”

Jeno shrugged. “He just likes to visit sometimes.”

“… Okay then.” Maybe it was just an indicator of a thankfully slow day. Kun went back to his book.

***

Wanting to eat dinner together, to Donghyuck, apparently meant taking the table Kun and his friends had been using and pushing it into the table Taeil’s group used. It also meant squeezing between Kun and Mark to talk to him. Jeno didn’t seem to mind. He got drawn into a conversation with the boy Kun had seen with Renjun and Yangyang before, who was apparently named Kunhang.

Donghyuck wanted to know all about Veteris. Kun did his best to dodge the deeper questions, but he described the town, most of the jobs, the forest, until Mark finally tapped Donghyuck on the shoulder.

Donghyuck turned. “Oh, hi.”

“Hi.” Mark smiled only a little coldly. “I’m glad that you’re curious, but our old pack isn’t exactly our favorite subject. Kun’s given you plenty of information, but is there anything else you’d like to talk about.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.” He seemed to actually feel guilty when he looked between them. “I can definitely change the subject. Aside from me poking just now, how are you liking it here?”

Kun bit his tongue. Mark’s smile was more genuine this time. “It’s been really good so far.”

“You’re with Jungwoo, right?” Donghyuck switched targets immediately. “What’s it actually like inside his house? He never lets me look.”

Mark leaned away slightly. “If he doesn’t want you to know, why should I tell you?”

“Come on, please?” Donghyuck leaned onto Mark. “I’m just curious.”

Kun left them to it. Jeno and Kunhang were still talking across the table. Yangyang had been drawn in, holding Kunhang’s hand on the table. Jaehyun sat in the corner furthest from Johnny and Doyoung, across from Mark. He had been happy enough to talk about his new job earlier, but now he sat quietly watching Mark and Donghyuck chat. Dejun sat on his other side. He had been quiet, but Kun had a feeling that it had more to do with Yukhei sitting a few spots down chattering at Ten. Dejun glanced over every few seconds, and when Dejun didn’t look, Yukhei did. Renjun kept looking at Kun from Yukhei’s other side and making faces, as if it could be any more obvious.

Taeil and the other council members still sat at the other end of their long table. Taeil hadn’t tried to approach Kun at dinner since Renjun and Yangyang had nearly beaned him with a fork. He laughed and joked with his friends, glanced around once in a while, but mostly seemed content to leave Kun be. He hadn’t expected that.

What Taeil did do, every night, was offer to walk Kun back. He accepted every time because what other sensible course was there? They started out walking very close together, as though whispering secrets to each other. Once they reached the residential area, Kun drifted to a more comfortable spacing.

“I heard Donghyuck came to visit Jeno today.”

He steeled himself against what Donghyuck had said. “Yes, it seemed like he somehow knew we were having a slow day and wanted to interrupt.”

Taeil laughed. “Donghyuck does that.”

“What do you mean?”

Taeil shrugged. He made a striking silhouette in the moonlight. “He’s either very lucky or a very good guesser, but he manages to catch things a lot of people miss. Like Jeno.”

“Like Jeno?” They turned onto Taeil’s street. “Jeno’s a sweetheart. You can’t tell me he wasn’t popular.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Taeil turned to walk backwards up the walk to his house. “He was plenty popular, but no one else really understood him.” Kun thought he caught a hint of a smile as Taeil leaned on the door. “But Donghyuck’s good at that. They’re good together.”

“I can see that.” They fit like two halves of something more than whole. Kun followed Taeil into the house. 

***

Kun had to learn how to balance learning how the council worked with healing people sooner than he would have thought because Jihyo let him start taking real cases as soon as he proved a more than basic knowledge of common illnesses. Patients came in waves. On days of high waves, Kun spent all day patching people up and mixing medicines. On the low days, he visited the council house.

Taeil introduced him to the major pieces of their laws in the small office room in the back. He had offered the open waiting space, but Kun barely wanted to stand in the room still, let alone spend time there.

Kun pushed the law book back toward Taeil. “But why do you have such a specific rule about the treatment of bodies? This procedure doesn’t sound random.” White shrouds covered bodies before burial in Veteris. Kun swallowed. “Veteris had things like this for ceremonial reasons.”

Taeil tapped the page. “Our reasons are primarily practical. You could probably tell me this yourself, but we’ve seen that particularly the bodies of people who died from some illnesses can still spread after they’ve died. So we wrap the bodies as soon as possible and bury them as far away as we’re willing to manage.”

“You’re right, I could have told you that. It makes sense. You absolutely wouldn’t want to spread disease.” He had seen more bodies in that particular vein than he cared to remember.

“Exactly.” Taeil watched him like he knew what Kun saw in his dreams, but he couldn’t.

Kun flipped the page. “Tell me about the market.”

That particular tidbit followed him through the rest of the day, as his friends joked with the kids and he tried to explain to Kunhang how that salve Biyu had taught him worked. The white sheets clouded his vision as they walked back to Taeil’s house. He drifted toward the bathroom.

“Kun?” Taeil reached out, but pulled his hand back before touching skin. “Are you okay?”

“Me? I’m fine.”

“Right.” Taeil eyed him. “That’s good. But if you’re ever not—you can talk to me, you know?”

Kun blinked past the shrouds for a moment. Taeil probably would listen. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.” He stepped toward the hall. “I should get ready for bed.”

He had to be imagining the way Taeil sagged. “Good night, Kun.”

“Good night.”

He dreamed of white shrouds again. 

***

“Have you thought any more about meeting my parents?”

Kun set down the papers Taeil had given him when they first sat in the office. “Now?”

Taeil shrugged. He sat behind the desk this time, working on something he hadn’t named to Kun yet. “Maybe, if you’re feeling up to it. You’ll be prepared for a full council meeting soon, so you’d meet them one way or another.”

He picket at a bit of fuzz on his pants. Did it really matter when it happened? “I suppose that’s true.”

“There’s no rush.” Taeil put down his pen. “If you don’t want to meet them yet, we can wait.”

“But people would ask questions?”

He shook his head. “Most people have no idea what we do in private. Most of them would assume that you’ve already met my parents. The rest might have questions, but they don’t know anything.”

He supposed it had to happen eventually. “No, it’s okay. Let’s do it now.”

“Really?”

Kun nodded. “You’re right, I’d rather meet them before there’s a big meeting and I need to know everyone.”

Taeil led him down the hall to another, larger office. Sunmi stood by a window, reading, while a man Kun didn’t know sat at the desk. They were both alphas.

Taeil knocked on the open door. “Is this a good time?”

They both looked around. “Of course it is—good time for what?” Sunmi asked.

Kun edged forward at Taeil’s wave. “A good time for you to meet Kun.”

“Oh, hello.” The man who must be Taeil’s father stood to greet him. “It’s good to meet you. I’m Minho, Taeil’s father.”

“Hi.” Kun smiled at him. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

Minho waved at Taeil. “Has he been a good host? You can tell me if he hasn’t and I’ll kick his ass.”

“Hey,” Taeil huffed from behind them, “I’m a good host.”

Minho grinned at Kun. “Is he?”

“He is, actually.” Kun laced his fingers together. “Surprising as that might seem to you.”

Minho laughed. “That’s good.” He looked over his shoulder. “Is that thing you’re reading so very interesting?”

“This?” She held up the papers. “No, it’s terribly boring, but I had to give you a chance to settle the poor boy before he has to see me again.” She raised an eyebrow. “Are you done teasing him?”

“Oh, never.” Minho held out a hand. Sunmi dropped the papers on the otherwise empty desk as she crossed to take it. He drew her forward in a dramatic presentation. “I believe you did have the chance to meet our Alpha before?”

Kun fought off the nerves shivering down to his fingertips. “Yes, the night I arrived here. I haven’t had the chance to thank you for that.”

She cocked her head. “Thank me?”

“For what you said.” He spread his hands. “None of the men who escorted here were people I have reason to be fond of.” Especially not Byunghun. Taeil stepped up to his side.

Sunmi had the same way of watching him that Taeil did, like she knew more than she should have. Kun smiled gamely. Finally, she gave him a warm smile. “It’s very good to meet you, Kun.” She glanced between them. “Were you just peeking in, or would you like to stay and talk a bit?”

Taeil glanced at him. Kun brought his hands back together. “I’d love to stay and talk.”

And when he sat next to Taeil, he found talking to parents and pack leaders wasn’t so bad.


	10. Chapter 10

Kun sat back after tying off the bandage. “You should be fine in just a couple of days. Come back and let someone look at it if you’re worried at all, though, okay?”

Jisung nodded. “Thank you, Kun.”

Kun waved as he darted off the bed to check out. Jisung was just too cute. 

“Kun,” Hyunjin called, “can you see who just came in? I’m stuck here.”

“Sure.” Kun wiped off his hands before heading for the door. Was this how his grandmother had felt when she worked as a healer?

A young woman stood in the doorway, cradling one hand in the other palm. She looked up, narrowing her eyes when she spotted Kun. That was weird. He gave a polite smile anyway. “Good afternoon. I’m Kun. Is your hand hurt?”

She lifted her chin. “Yes. I sliced it on a knife while making lunch. Are you going to help me?” Dejun watched them carefully from his corner, but didn’t get up. Another odd sign.

“I am.” He waved toward an empty berth. “Please sit and give me your hand.”

She crossed precisely to the bed in the berth and sat, presenting her hand. Kun brought the little table over under her hand as he took it. Kun pulled her fingers back gently to see a smooth, shallow gash running the length of her palm. “This must hurt. The good news is, I don’t think it will need stitches.” This station hadn’t been refilled. “Would you wait here for me while I get some salve and bandages?”

She inclined her head. The woman still hadn’t given her name, but something about her air made him feel like he was supposed to know it. Her scent was too subtle for him to place except that she was an omega. Kun headed for the storeroom. Jeno was digging through their bandage bin, so Kun paused next to him after grabbing a tin of salve.

“Could you pass me some bandages for a cut on the hand?”

“Sure.” Jeno dug a little more before passing over a small roll. “Did I see you with Hana?”

“Is that her name?” Kun passed the roll between his hands. “She didn’t say. Tall omega, beautiful, seems kind of regal?”

Jeno nodded. “Yeah, that’s her. I’d be careful around her.”

“Why?” Kun bit his lip. “She didn’t seem too happy. Did I do something?”

Jeno shook his head. Then he paused. “No … you didn’t, exactly. It’s just, she likes Taeil.”

“Oh?” He hadn’t been expecting that.

“Yeah, there’s a whole group of them. They’re not too happy now that you’re here taking their chances.”

Jeno must have thought he saw something in Kun’s face. He hurried to add, “Taeil doesn’t encourage them. I’m not sure he even notices they’re there. He’s been unattached for a really long time, and most of us figured it was because he just hadn’t found the right person, but I guess that group saw it as their chance?” He pulled another roll from the bin and pushed it back. “But, of course, you’re together now and they have no right to say anything, so it’ll probably be fine. I just wanted to warn you, just in case something happens.”

“I see.” Something in his core cooled to ice. He didn’t know why it mattered, but his wolf set a low, silent rumble through his chest. “Thank you for the warning, Jeno.”

“Sure.” Jeno watched him leave, looking worried.

Kun carried the salve and bandage back to Hana. She sat where he had left her, cradling her hand again. Now that he knew, he could spot the displeasure written all over her. He set everything on the table and reached for her hand. It was cold, but he wasn’t sure if that was from previous blood loss or just her as a person. “This will be cold, but it shouldn’t hurt.”

She nodded, but kept quiet as he cleaned the wound, then spread the salve over her palm and reached for the bandage. The rest of the room was quiet, but he had seen a patient leaving on his way back from the storeroom. They probably didn’t have anything better to do than watch. She only spoke when he started to wrap her hand.

“He doesn’t really want you, you know,” her voice was smooth as silk and colder than her hand. “He can’t. Some castoff from Veteris who’s only good for wrapping other people up? You must have tricked him somehow.”

If she wanted him that badly, she could just take him. Kun tightened the bandage a little more than strictly necessary as she went on. Except she couldn’t, because Taeil didn’t want her. Which appeared to be the root of the problem. His wolf growled. “What did you offer him to make him choose you?” She seemed to be holding back a sneer. “It must have been something big to draw him to you.”

Kun focused on finishing the bandage. Taeil didn’t want him, but they had at least made an agreement. He should honor it. He tuned out what she was saying.

Her voice grew louder and louder as Kun worked, until she was shouting. The room had to be watching. Kun tied off the bandage. She tried to snatch her hand away, but he held firm.

“I’m sorry you feel hurt by an alpha who never wanted you anyway doing what anyone else is allowed to do.” He kept his voice calm and even, just a little cool, as the eyes of the room hovered on him. “That’s not my fault and that’s not his fault. You’re welcome to be as upset as you like about things not going your way. You’re not welcome to take it out on other people. We all know I’m new here, so maybe you thought I would be an easy mark because of the way I entered this pack. I’m not. I’m here, I’m here to stay, and I am with Taeil. It’s too bad that he upsets you, but he’s mine now, so you don’t really get a choice in the matter.” He smiled and knew it was cold. “Your hand should begin to scab over within a couple of days. If it’s not healed in about a week, come back and see someone. Thank you for coming in.”

The cold fed him as she stood to stalk out. Kun looked around when Jeno clapped his shoulder. “Sun and moon, that was cool.”

“Was it?” He let his smile warm now that it was safe again. “I was worried about going too far.”

“Nah, they need to hear it. Hopefully, she’ll spread word to the others.”

Kun raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think it will make things worse?”

“We won’t let it.” Jihyo came by to pat him. “Collectively. You’ve made your stance clear, and you’re right in what you said. Word will spread. Besides, Taeil should take care of his business where they’re concerned.”

Kun frowned. “If he’s not encouraging them, then how is it his business? This is between me and them. I can take care of myself.”

“We know.” She patted him again. “You already have. It’s not Taeil’s fault that they’re acting out, but it involves him, too. Let him take care of himself like you’ve taken care of yourself.”

Kun grumbled. “Can we just get back to work?”


	11. Chapter 11

It was nice, to lose himself in work for a while. He ended up following Jeno and Dejun to dinner almost in a daze, until Jeno split off to find his mate. Kun wandered over to the table his friends had claimed as theirs. The council heirs had taken Donghyuck’s idea of moving their table over to chat during dinner. Kun dropped into the open spot between Ten and Mark, closest to the other table. Dejun waved and went to bother Yukhei. Ten nudged Kun.

“Do you want to tell us why everyone’s talking about you today?”

Kun picked at his food. “I don’t know, why is everyone talking about me today?”

“Well,” Jaehyun set his chin in his hand. “Since everyone’s saying you lit into one of the girls after Taeil today at work, I think they’re probably talking about you because you lit into one of the girls after Taeil today at work. So what happened?” Dejun snickered next to him. Kun glared at him until he shut up.

He sighed. “I wouldn’t say I lit into her, exactly.”

“But something did happen?” Ten leaned into Kun, almost shoving him into Mark.

“Yeah. She came in for a cut on her hand and started talking about how I must have bewitched Taeil somehow because he would never be interested in me otherwise.” He snorted. “Because of course that’s why he wasn’t interested in her.”

They laughed. Kun picked up his chopsticks, ignoring the rest of his friends’ comments. He lasted until Jaehyun poked him and pointed.

Taeil stood behind him. It should have been much too soon for Kun to know that by scent, but he was almost never without it given he lived in Taeil’s house. Kun turned on the bench, pushing Ten so he could get around fully. Taeil stood just within what he appeared to have decided was the safe distance to give Kun his space. “Hi.”

Kun cocked his head. “Hi.”

“I heard you had an interesting day today.”

Where was he going with this? “I take it you heard what happened?”

“I did.” He shifted a little closer. It settled his wolf a little. The poor guy had been restless ever since Hana showed up. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”

Kun shrugged. “I’ve had worse, believe me. That wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.” If anything, it had amused him.

Taeil looked like he was trying to stifle a laugh. “Then, I’m sorry you had to deal with those, but I’m glad she didn’t upset you much. I heard you handled it very well.”

What was this? Kun tipped his head to the other side. “Thank you? I at least think I made it difficult for her to say anything back. I don’t know if they’ll antagonize me any more, though.”

Taeil shook his head. “I’ll tell you more when we’re at home, but I took care of it.”

What did that mean? How many people were listening to this? Kun pulled himself up. Taeil just looked at him, gaze filled with something he didn’t know how to name. Kun’s neck felt a little warm with all the eyes on him. Why had he agreed to this? “Thank you.”

Taeil nodded. “For what it’s worth, I thought you were very impressive.” Someone called his name. Taeil waved and disappeared before he could contest the label. Kun turned back to the table. “All of you, shut up.”

“We didn’t even say anything, though?” Mark said, trying to keep down a smile.

“You didn’t have to. Just eat your dinner.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes.”

***

He waited until they were inside to ask. Kun slipped off his shoes and waited in the hall while Taeil followed suit. “What did you mean, earlier? About Hana?”

“Hm? Oh.” Taeil straightened. “I talked to them once I heard about what happened.”

“What did you say?” He backed up to give Taeil space as they moved into the living room. “How did you even hear about this?”

Taeil paced around him. “Word travels fast around here. I had people telling me that she’d been to see you, what she said, how you handled it, before I even finished for the day. It was quite a story.”

“I—it wasn’t that much.” Kun perched on the arm of the couch. “I just didn’t like the way she talked to me.”

“For good reason.” Taeil frowned. He moved past the shelf of pictures Kun had never asked about. “I didn’t realize there were people so invested in who I end up with.”

Kun snorted. “You—heir to your pack—you don’t think there would be people who care who you mate with?”

Taeil threw up his hands. “Of course I knew that, but it’s not like any of them ever said anything to me about it?”

“Do you need someone to say it to your face?” He bit the inside of his cheek. “I may not be the most experienced in this area, but the level of animosity I saw today? That wasn’t subtle.”

“I never claimed to be good at this.” Taeil gave a wry smile. “But I do try. So, when I heard what happened, I went to talk to them.”

“Right. And what did you say?”

He made another circuit of the room. It should have felt like a hunting move, but Kun’s wolf was content to let it happen. “I explained my position on all this, which is that I’ve never been interested in any of them, I’ve made my choice, and I support everything you said.”

“Thanks for that.” Kun cocked his head. “Do you think that will be enough?”

“I hope so.” Taeil frowned. “I don’t really know how they work. I just don’t want you getting hurt.”

“That’s sweet.” His wolf crooned—what was that about? Kun cleared his throat. “I’m sure I can handle whatever they come up with, if today was any indication.”

Taeil came to a stop in front of him. “You know, I think you can.”

“Thanks.” Kun put up a finger. “Does that mean I can call Dejun off? He’s a nice kid, but he didn’t have to do anything today, and I definitely know my way around now.”

Taeil cocked his head. That aura he kept locked down so well leaked a little. “Are you comfortable here on your own now?”

He took a deep breath. “I am.”

Taeil smiled. The aura disappeared as though it had never been there. “That’s good. I’m glad. Whoever sees Dejun first gets to tell him, then.”

“Great.” Kun stood. Taeil stepped out of his space. “I’m going to go wash up.”

Taeil nodded. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

He had a lot to think about. Kun pondered the day as he readied for bed. Taeil had acted to support him, not stifle him or cut him out. He had seemed genuinely happy that Kun felt more comfortable in town. Kun put away his toiletries and slipped into his room. Was he doing enough to contribute to this deal? He slid under the covers. Was it fair to ask Taeil to ‘pursue’ him tirelessly without returning something?

***

So, he sat next to Taeil at dinner the next night. Taeil looked surprised, but not unhappy. “Hello there.”

“Hi.” Kun poked at his food. “Do you mind if I sit here?”

“Not at all.” Taeil smiled brightly. “It’s a nice surprise. Do you mind if I ask why?”

Kun shrugged. “Just felt like making a change.”

Taeil seemed to accept that and turned back to his food. The groups had started to mix more; Taeyong sat next to Ten with Mark and Jaehyun sat with Doyoung and Johnny tonight. Their younger friends moved through the groups with ease.

Taeil leaned in when no one was talking to them. “You sure you’re okay with this?” he asked.

“I came and sat next to you on my own,” Kun murmured back, “why wouldn’t I be okay with this?”

“I’m just checking.” Taeil glanced down to where their sides almost brushed. “I didn’t think you wanted to be this close to me.”

“I never said I didn’t want you close to me.” He coughed. “I said I wasn’t ready for you to touch me. I do appreciate you giving me space, but …” did he really want to admit this? “You don’t need to do that anymore.”

Something shifted. Taeil looked like he was holding his breath. “Are you saying it’s okay if I touch you?”

Kun swallowed. “Yes, you can touch me.”

Taeil didn’t question it. He turned away when Johnny asked him a question, but he let his hand rest on Kun’s knee briefly. His hand was so warm. Kun felt the imprint of it long after they went to bed.

***

_Biyu stared at him, pleading. She spoke, but he couldn’t make out the words. Her gaze dulled to nothing, face faded to white. A shroud over a body. Then another, and another, and more beyond counting. The shrouds made a backdrop to Chenle napping on Kun’s bed. He woke up and started talking. Kun couldn’t hear a word. Chenle frowned, then pouted. His face twisted into a scream._

Kun bolted upright. The sun was barely up; that was later than he usually made it. Kun waited for his breathing to slow before he crawled out of bed. He pulled on some clothes. The way to the kitchen was dark, as usual, but the kitchen light was on. Taeil turned from the counter when Kun entered.

“Hi.”

“What are you doing up?” Kun trudged to the cabinets to look for something to eat. “You usually sleep later than this.”

Taeil shrugged. “I just woke up early.” He offered a glass of juice. “Are you usually this early of a riser?”

He took the glass. “Thank you. I’m—it varies. This is a little later than I usually make it up.”

“Later?” Taeil reached past him for bread. “That sounds early to me?”

Kun sipped at his juice.

Taeil put the bread down. “Are you okay?”

Shrouds and faces just wouldn’t leave him. He smiled. “I’m fine. I’m a healer, remember? If I have a significant sleeping problem, I know where to go to fix it.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I am.” Taeil dropped it for breakfast, at least.


	12. Chapter 12

Renjun bounded into the healer’s house just after Kun’s lunch break, dragging his mate behind him. Kun had wanted to be wary of the alpha guards, but they were all too sweet with him and with each other. These two were bickering, which seemed to be their normal method of communication combined with affectionate gestures. Kun met them before Renjun could drag Jaemin very far.

“Hi, you two. What happened?”

“This dumbass,” Renjun pulled Jaemin around to face Kun. For what it was worth, Jaemin seemed to go willingly. “Decided it would be a good idea not to look before grabbing a sharp blade.”

“Did you hurt your hand?” Kun was already reaching out as he spoke.

Jaemin laughed sheepishly. “Not my hand so much as my arm?” He held it out. A gash ran most of the length of his arm, covered by a loose bandage. It was deep, but didn’t appear to be crossing any major veins or arteries; it didn’t bleed much when Kun unwrapped it.

“You—I’m not even surprised, actually.” He pushed them over to a berth. “Everyone in your age group seems to not think before using sharp things, do you know how many of you I’ve had in here for help with this exact problem within days of each other?” He ducked into the storeroom without waiting for a response. It was empty, so he grabbed what he needed and went back. Kun set everything up and reached for Jaemin’s arm again. “I’m going to have to stitch this.”

Renjun tapped the back of Jaemin’s head gently. “I told you to look where you’re going.”

“Listen,” Jaemin winced, but he didn’t flinch or try to pull away as Kun cleaned the edges of the cut and reached for the needle. Donghyuck had been the same when he came in a couple of days earlier. Was stubbornness a shared trait or was that a feature of guard training? “I do, generally, look where I’m going. I just happened in this case to know where it was, so I didn’t bother looking. Clearly, that was a mistake. But at least I didn’t fall over it?’

Renjun rolled his eyes. Kun started stitching. “So aside from my idiot alpha’s mishaps,” Jaemin whined but didn’t contest it, “how has your day been, Kun?”

“Good. We’ve had a few people for minor things—minor as in even smaller than this—and solved those, but it’s mostly been quiet.” It had been a good day, actually. He and Taeil had eaten breakfast together, which was weird but not bad, work had been smooth. If he weren’t trapped, he would have said it was a really good day. Kun reached for more thread. He was almost actually enjoying himself. He supposed it could be worse; this was better than living tied to a monster in a hellhole. Kun tied off the last stitch and reached for the salve. He spread some down Jaemin’s arm. “What were you doing that led to you getting this, anyway?”

Jaemin grinned. “Cleaning out my sharp things.”

Kun groaned. “Please, please. Look before you do something like this next time.”

“I will, I will.”

He started wrapping Jaemin’s arm. It didn’t make everything better. His grandmother was dead. He might never see Chenle again. He hadn’t chosen this place. But it was better than living a nightmare.

“So, I’m sure you’ve had cuts before, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Let this arm rest and get some rest yourself. The bandages should be changed once a day; you can do that yourself if you have them, or you can come here and we’ll do it. The salve should help it heal faster. If you’re changing your own bandages and you see something wrong, come down here immediately. If we see something, we’ll take care of it. But it should be ready for the stitches to come out in a couple of weeks.”

Jaemin nodded. “Thanks. I’ll probably just come down here and let you take care of it.”

Kun laughed. “That’s a good choice. Go rest this arm, okay?”

“I’ll make sure he does,” Renjun got off the chair by the bed and pulled Jaemin up by his healthy arm. “Thanks, Kun.”

“Of course.” He waved them off. They were a sweet couple.

***

Jaehyun wandered into the healing house around lunchtime with two bags of food. Kun pushed him right back out again. “Don’t bring food in here.”

“What?”

“Unless you’re injured, don’t bring food in with you. It’ll give us more to clean up later.”

“Oh.” Jaehuyn let Kun push him further from the door. “Oops? I’m not injured.”

“Yeah, I could tell.” Kun led him over the edge of the street. “Were you bringing me lunch?”

“Yes.” Jaehyun passed over one of the bags. “I thought you would be hungry. And I wanted to talk to you.”

“Yes?” Kun sat next to Jaehyun. The bag had Kun’s favorite sandwich and an apple.

Jaehyun shrugged. “Let’s eat first.”

Kun dug into his sandwich, but he kept poking Jaehyun. “What did you want to talk about?”

Jaehyun pouted. “I’m bored.”

“You’re what?”

“I’m bored,” he whined. “You’re a healer, Ten’s with the guard, Mark’s off with flowers all the time. I love the kids, but they’re not exactly high-order conversationalists.”

“You’re not just bored. You have something specific in mind that you want to do and can’t, don’t you?” Kun set down the empty bag. Jaehyun had always been like that, but he had always had Mark and Ten to cause trouble with. They couldn’t cause trouble here.

Jaehyun sighed. “Maybe.”

“What is it, then?”

He bit his lip and glanced around. The street was empty, so Kun wasn’t sure what he was looking for. “Have you seen the way Yukhei and Dejun look at each other?”

“Only every time they pass each other by, yeah.” Kun narrowed his eyes. “You want to do something about it?”

Jaehyun shrugged. “I don’t want to meddle, exactly. I just—I think they need a little push.”

“How is that not meddling?” Kun waved his sandwich. “Would you want me pushing you at Johnny and Doyoung?”

Jaehyun put his food down. “That’s different.”

“How?”

“Because.” He clenched his hands. “They—I don’t know what they want, but it isn’t me. Meddling isn’t going to help. Those two are just shy.”

That was the most he had ever said about it. “Jaeyhun—”

“I have an idea.” Jaehyun turned to him with an overly bright smile. “We just have to make one of them a little jealous.”

“A little jealous? And you think one of us should do that?” He waved between them. “Have you forgotten our status here?”

Jaehyun put his hands up. “I’m not asking you to do anything like that. I wouldn’t want to upset Taeil. I’m just asking you to back me up if I try a little experiment.”

“You’re insane.” As if Taeil would be upset over Kun. “Do you really think you can help them?”

Jaehyun stood. “I really do.”

Kun took their trash. “I’m not going to do anything, but if you insist on going for it, I’ll do my best to clean you up after.”

Jaehyun grinned. “That’s all I’m asking for.”

“I have to get back.” Kun stood. “Good luck.”

He’d need it.

***

Kun kept watch all through the rest of the evening, but Jaehyun decided to wait until the middle of dinner. He sat next to Yukhei and talked to him, which wasn’t too unusual. What was unusual was the way he acted like he hung on Yukhei’s every word, walked with him to get more food, touched his arm or hand at every opportunity.

Kun sat and ate and watched the show unfold. Taeil seemed pretty confused next to him, as did most of the others. Dejun noticed. He barely touched his food, more interested in glowering at the places Jaehyun brushed against Yukhei. Dejun wasn’t the only one who noticed what was going on. Johnny's face seemed sunk in a permanent pout. Doyoung watched everyone with narrowed eyes. Everyone in this group had very good control of themselves, but Kun began to catch a stronger scent from their end of the table.

Jaehyun got up to take care of some trash. The table relaxed slightly. Yukhei seemed a little confused as he went back to his food, but no one was particularly trying to involve him. Kun gripped his utensils against the knot in his stomach. Jaehyun could make or break this very easily.

Jaehyun strolled back easily. He glanced at Kun. Kun shook his head. Jaehyun bent to peek over Yukhei’s shoulder. “Oh, you’ve got a little something here. Let me get that for you.” He reached to wipe a bit of sauce off Yukhei’s bottom lip. “There.”

Dejun popped up, but even he paled against the other reaction. Doyoung burst out of his chair with Johnny close behind. They moved to Jaehyun’s side of the table. Yukhei sniffed, then froze. Kun slid down in his seat to kick Jaehyun’s shin. Jaehyun straightened. Kun tipped his chin. Jaehyun turned.

“What?”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Doyoung demanded.

Jaehyun put his hands on his hips. “Oh, am I doing something? Would you like to enlighten me for once?”

Johnny pointed at Yukhei, half-turned to them and not looking very happy. “I’m pretty sure you know what we’re talking about.”

Jaehyun rolled his eyes. “I was trying to help, but apparently I’m not even allowed to nudge.”

“Nudge what?” Dejun’s voice cracked, poor kid.

“You.” Jaehyun waved between them. “Did it work?”

“Wait, what?” Yukhei twisted to look at Dejun. “What’s this about?”

Dejun’s gaze flickered blue. “You know what? Fine.” He dropped and slid under the table to reach the arguers. He held out a hand to Yukhei. “I need to talk to you.”

Yukhei’s ears went red. He grabbed Dejun’s hand. They disappeared from the courtyard. Kun set down his fork. At least that was one problem solved.

Jaehyun nodded to himself. “There. Does that answer your question?”

“You wanted to make him jealous?” Doyoung’s voice was flat, but Kun could scent his turmoil from across the table. “What the hell?”

Jaehyun shrugged. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“You didn’t stop to think about how it would look?” Doyoung twirled a finger. “Everyone can see us.”

Jaehyun raised one shoulder. “Is that all that bothers you?” Underneath the annoyance, he sounded so sad.

Johnny frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jaehyun waved between them. “You have each other, I don’t even know why you brought me in, here. I’m supposed to believe you care if I flirt with someone else? For a stunt?”

They both jerked back like he had slapped them. Was that a mate thing? Kun wedged his hands between his knees. Jaehyun held himself tightly, as if braced for a blow.

Johnny moved first, stepped between the other two. “We don’t want to have this conversation in public.” He held out a hand to Jaehyun. “Come talk?”

Jaehyun looked down.

“Please?” Doyoung put his hand on Johnny’s other arm. “Whatever you want to say, please do, at home?”

Jaehyun didn’t change his stance, but he took Johnny’s hand. Johnny got both of them out of the courtyard before anyone else could move.

Kun breathed easier as the area cleared of various scents. “Well, that was exciting.”

“That was insane.” Ten slid down a few seats. “What was that? It looked like you knew something.”

“I knew he wanted to do something. I didn’t think it would go down like that.” He poked at his food. “Do you think it’ll be okay?”

Mark pushed Ten down another seat. “I think they’ll iron something out one way or another. He never talks about it, but there’s clearly something there.”

Taeil hadn’t said a word this whole time. Kun glanced over. Taeil was frowning at the exit. He looked around after a moment. “I think they’ll work it out. I’ll go by tonight, just in case, to make sure they haven’t killed each other or something, though.”

That would have to be enough. Kun finished as much food as he could before giving up. Taeil left quickly, too, to check on them. He couldn’t give details when he returned to the house, but things seemed to be intact and Jaehyun had sent along a note for Kun.

_You were right, I’m dumb, but we’re working on it. Don’t worry about me, okay :)_

It would have to be enough.


	13. Chapter 13

Taeil wasn’t home when Kun got back. The place left him feeling a little restless. Kun wandered around the living room. He had never looked too closely at the pictures on the shelves. There were a few of Minho and Sunmi, alone and with Taeil, along with a few older couples he didn’t recognize. He stopped by one. An older woman beamed out at him, holding a necklace. Something about the picture called to him; the woman didn’t look like Biyu, but her smile was just as gentle. Taeil never talked about anyone but his parents. Kun took the frame back to the couch with him. 

He curled into the couch with it. He refused to talk about his family, too, so it wasn’t like he could blame Taeil. But he really was curious about it. Something about the picture was soothing. He closed his eyes.

The next thing he knew, Taeil’s scent curled more sharply in his nose and he was speaking words that didn’t quite make sense.

“Huh?” Kun straightened. Taeil stood in front of him, holding the picture. He smiled gently down at Kun.

“Hey. I just asked you to wake up, because it’s not good to sleep out here.”

“Right.” Kun rubbed at his eyes. “Sorry, I kind of went poking in your things.”

Taeil waved his free hand, looking back down at the picture. “It’s fine, I meant it when I said this was your house too. This was actually about to fall out of your lap.” He offered it back to Kun. “Are you interested in it?”

Kun nodded, but he nudged the picture back toward Taeil. “Is that your grandmother?” It was bittersweet. He didn’t have any drawings of his grandmother. He could ask Ten, maybe. But that would mean revealing her to anyone else who saw it. Maybe not yet. His chest tightened.

Taeil shook his head. He sat next to Kun and set the picture between them. “This is my great-grandmother. I usually keep this next to the one of my grandparents and other family members. She was special, though. I’m glad you picked it out.” 

Kun traced the edge of the picture. “Why is she special?”

Taeil licked his lips. “Do you remember I told you, when you first came here, that a few generations ago things started to change here? Because of certain pack members.”

Kun nodded. “Was she one of them?”

“She was the one, really.” Taeil traced over her face with a finger. “She was an omega, and she hated the way the classification system worked. She thought it was stupid that she would be expected to take a mate and have children and keep the house and never have a say in what went on.” He chuckled. “I think a little of that came from being the Alpha’s daughter, as well, because her brothers were raised as decision makers while she was barred from it. So she rebelled.”

That explained so much. Kun moved the picture so he could turn toward Taeil. His knee brushed Taeil’s leg, and it didn’t make him want to jump away. It left his knee warm. He set the picture on his knees as he settled into the couch. Taeil watched him patiently. “What did she do?”

Taeil cocked his head. “In the Veteris pack, do the alphas have a particular job that no one else is allowed to do?”

Kun wrinkled his nose. He had managed to avoid mentioning his old pack for weeks. “They’re guards, and they go on more frequent hunts, for food and to protect the territory.”

Taeil nodded. “It was like that here, too. Miyeon was a very good hunter, so she ran off on her own and proved it. That was the first one.”

“Did she get in trouble?”

“Oh, of course. Her father put her on house arrest, but that couldn’t erase what she had done. Everyone saw the haul she brought in. They still tell stories about it. So people started thinking.”

Kun shifted. “You said that was the first one. There were others?”

Taeil grinned. “She went after the guards next.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m told one of my great grand-uncles had been training her in secret since they were kids, so she went right up to the training grounds one day and challenged the strongest alpha trainer. They tried to laugh it off at first, but she provoked him into attacking her. And then she beat his ass.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. I wish I could have seen it.” Taeil shook his head, eyes shining. “So, again, she got in trouble, but people were paying attention. She went back to the training grounds every chance she got until she proved that she was just as good as any of them there.”

“And they just let her do that?” It almost sounded too good to be true.

“Oh, no, I’m sure it took months. But eventually they had to admit that she was just as good, if not better. That’s when she challenged her father about being on the council.”

“How did he take that?”

Taeil laughed. “I’m told not well, but he was starting to get the picture. And at least a couple of her brothers supported her. So she won her way into the council on her own merits, though her father kept putting up challenges. And eventually she was able to start implementing the changes she represented.”

Kun nodded. “I was wondering about that.”

Taeil shrugged. “Of course, they weren’t just going to change their minds about women, or about omegas, immediately. Even when she proved some of them wrong, they just said it was a fluke, or that she was special.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s the word they used,” Kun muttered.

“Well, I don’t want to use the words they probably used.” Taeil wrinkled his nose; it actually looked silly on him. “But anyway, she was the one to start forcing everyone to play by equitable rules. It took a long time for that to settle in, and of course not everyone here wants to follow it even now, but things are very different.”

Kun nodded slowly. The woman in the picture smiled up at him, frozen in what must have been a happy time for her. Could he have done that, in her place? Or would he have just run? He frowned. “Hold on. You said something about her not wanting a mate.”

Taeil laughed. “Oh, yes.”

“So what happened?”

Taeil tapped the picture. “My great-grandfather was a very unique man for his time. He and my great-grandmother grew up together, and despite whatever his family may have tried to instill in him, he always said she always made more sense to him than they did.”

Taeil smiled and it was so gentle Kun almost wanted to cry. “He also said he had always been in love with her, so that helped, too. When she started making changes, he helped her because it was the right thing to do. As you said, she had always been very vocal about not wanting a mate. So, he never thought anything could come of it.”

“What changed?” Kun resettled himself against the cushions. “Or else you wouldn’t exist.”

Taeil laughed. “Yes, that’s true. Once she was on the council, Miyeon started making changes to the way omegas were treated in society. Courting was one of those. Technically, courting was always a choice by both parties, but she had certainly heard of plenty of cases where the other party wouldn’t stop until the omega said yes, or pressured the omega in other ways. She made sure that the law required anyone asking—and she helped specify that it didn’t have to be an alpha or beta—had to respect the choice as given.”

“That’s great. But what does it have to do with all this?” Kun waved.

Taeil shrugged. “I guess when he heard about that, my great-grandfather wanted to know how she felt about it. So he asked her. She said that she hadn’t exactly been opposed to mating, but she wanted people to stop hitting on her just because she was the alpha’s omega daughter and she definitely didn’t want anyone to get harassed anymore. I don’t know if something else happened, but it gave him hope, so he asked if he could court her.”

Taeil paused. Kun squirmed. “And?”

He smirked. “She said, “try.”“

“Oh my gods.”

“I know, it sounds so fascinating.” Taeil shrugged. “So, he did. He was patient and kind and romantic, according to all the stories they tell about it. He took her on hunts and sparred with her and brought her flowers and I don’t know how she felt about him before, but she always said she fell in love with him slowly.” He shrugged again. “They mated. She did end up having children with him, obviously,” he waved at himself, “but he never tried to keep her away from the pack council and in fact I think he spent more time at home with the children than she did.”

Kun cocked his head. “Who took over the pack, then? If it was your great-grandparents, shouldn’t it have been them?”

Taeil shook his head. “My great-grandfather didn’t have any interest in ruling and as progressive as Miyeon was trying to be, I don’t think she did either. It went to her oldest brother, but he didn’t have any children. He wanted a worthy heir, so he tested all of his siblings’ children and one of Miyeon’s sons proved himself—my grandfather. After that, my mother proved herself worthy of the title, and now I’m in the running.”

“Why is it only you? All the others you mention had multiple candidates.”

Taeil grinned. “I knocked most of them out last year. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been given so much leeway on things recently.”

Kun nodded slowly. “That explains a lot.” This place, this pack, Taeil—he didn’t want to think about how different Veteris could have been with someone like Miyeon—or Taeil—there to guide them. Or would they just have rejected it?

“I suppose so.” Taeil traced his great-grandmother’s face again. “It was my favorite story growing up.” He glanced at Kun. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Your favorite story,” Taeil clarified. “Or your family. I’m just curious. What was it like for you?”

Kun wrinkled his nose. “It’s not as fun as yours.” He thought about it. “My favorite story growing up was one my grandmother told about when she was a healer.”

“Yeah?”

Kun nodded. “It’s nothing so epic, just a bad injury. One of the hunters had gone up against a bear and had his abdomen swiped open. They were able to drag him back to the healing house and none of the other healers wanted to touch him for fear of the consequences if he died.”

“But your grandmother was different?” Taeil guessed.

Kun couldn’t keep back a smile. It still hurt to think about her, but this was a good story. “She never let anything stop her from helping someone. Since no one else would touch him, she made them get her supplies and got to work. I don’t think she’d ever tried to sew up a wolf’s guts before, but she must have been pretty lucky because she managed it. He lived, though he had bad scars for the rest of his life.” He bit his lip. “It was that story that made me want to be a healer.”

“Really?”

Kun played with his hands. “It would never have been allowed, back there. My grandmother was a beta—most of my family have been betas, actually, which is I think part of why they’re as well known as they are—but even then she had a hard time convincing anyone to let her in because she was a woman.”

Taeil rolled his eyes.

“Yeah.” Kun shrugged. “So, her omega grandson? Not ever going to happen. They let me hang around to help because of her, but I never got to touch any of the patients. Not really. They said I would aggravate them too much.”

“That’s just stupid.” Taeil paused. “What do you mean, your family is well-known? You mean as healers?”

So he hadn’t recognized the name when they met. Kun shook his head. “Not exactly. Yes, as healers, but the Vetus Qian line is kind of … infamous?”

“How so?”

Why did this feel so strange to talk about? “My family has moved packs several times.”

“That’s not that unusual,” Taeil pointed out. “Families come from and go to different packs all the time, though usually not more than a few times.”

Kun shrugged. “This has been more than a few times. We’re known for healing skill and knowledge, yes, but also for leaving packs when the pack doesn’t always think we should.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “It’s not always considered a good thing. Mostly it was centuries ago, when membership of a pack meant loyalty to that pack. It’s not that my family was ever unloyal, I’m told, so much as they wanted to be allowed certain rights and they really didn’t like being told no. Like, in a pack with a lot of healers, to be told they couldn’t or shouldn’t do that. Or being told to let someone die,” he grinned wryly, “like my grandmother. Things like that have caused my family to leave packs. My grandmother only stayed because she was in love with my grandfather and then he didn’t want to leave and then they were tied down.”

Taeil cocked his head. “Your grandmother is the Qian? Not your grandfather?”

He had gotten too comfortable. Kun slid back into the arm of the couch. “No. My grandfather wasn’t the nicest of people. My parents used different names, but I decided to take my grandmother’s name when I was younger.” He didn’t want to talk about this anymore.

Taeil watched him carefully. Whatever he saw must have been convincing enough to make him drop it. He stood. “I’m going to go wash up, unless you want to go first.”

Kun shook his head. “No, that’s fine, you go.” He picked up the picture frame. As Taeil left the room, he walked the picture back to the shelf. He didn’t like thinking about his grandfather. Kun set the picture back in its place. It was strange, talking to Taeil about his grandmother, too. He almost hadn’t minded, though, after everything Taeil had told him. To think that was his favorite childhood story.

No wonder he was so strange. Kun passed Taeil as they traded places for the bathroom. He tried to talk away the unsettled feelings as he got ready for bed, but his wolf wasn’t happy with them either. His dreams were disturbed and dangerous.


	14. Chapter 14

Kun almost hadn’t realized how long they really had been in Neo pack until Taeil mentioned the hunt at breakfast.

“Huh?”

Taeil put down his glass. “I said, are you ready for the hunt tonight?”

“I didn’t realize the hunt was tonight.” Kun put down his utensils. “But yes, it’ll probably be fine.” He bit his lip. “What will be expected of me?”

“Expected of you?” Taeil made that face he often made when he thought Kun had said something odd. It was kind of cute.

Kun shrugged. “I know I’ve been learning pack law and there’s some stuff in there about hunts, but it’s not very specific and I don’t know your customs.”

Taeil put his elbows on the table, but Kun would let it slide just this once. “What were hunts like in Veteris?”

Kun shrugged. He toyed with his fork. “I don’t know what to tell you. We lived in dorms by presentation, hunts were mostly the same. We came out in groups, shifted as a whole pack, but mostly split into subgroups by presentation once the hunt had started.” And tried to stay away from the alphas unless one was an angry Ten. “But mated pairs often separated from the large group together.”

“Ah.” Taeil shrugged. “Aside from being split by presentation, it’s not that different here.” He took a drink. “We don’t separate by anything but personal preference. Yes, mated pairs do tend to hunt together unless they’re in a larger group—Doyoung and Johnny, for example, tended to leave us alone a lot after they were first mated—but the rest is very similar.”

Kun bit his lip. “This is different, though.”

“Yes.” Taeil shrugged again. “But not that different, I think. Courting couples do usually spend time together, but not always.” He hummed. “I told you about my great-grandparents.”

“Yes, you said he took her on hunts.”

“Right. I meant hunts for food like the hunters usually do, but during the pack hunts, at least at first, she liked to make it harder for him by making him track her down.” Taeil shrugged. “So to a certain extent it’s just by how you want to play it.” He frowned. “Our situation is a little different because of the claiming. There are so few people who have done such a thing here that I don’t think there are any real customs. But with what we’ve been presenting it might look odd for you to avoid me the whole time.” He looked apologetic. 

“No.” Kun shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. It’s okay.” _I don’t hate you that much,_ he wanted to say, but moved his plate away. His stomach felt too strange to eat much more.

“Oh, okay.” Taeil went back to eating. “So I’ll see you tonight, then.”

“Yes.”

Kun made it through most of the day without thinking too much. A near flood of patients came in, at least compared to their usual levels. Mostly small injuries or stomach complaints, but a few people were hurt or ill enough to be excused from the hunt. Jeno said it happened a lot around hunts, that people would be more careless because their wolves were closer to the surface than usual and hurt themselves on something. At least some things were still the same.

Everything left him unsettled as Kun walked to dinner. His friends sat together as usual, wearing the simple clothes that even here everyone wore in preparation for the pack hunts. Kun actually had not realized that Ten owned the same loose shifting clothes as the rest of them, but there he sat next to Mark in them. To be fair, he and Taeyong were close enough in size that they could just trade clothes, and Taeyong clearly had some. He couldn’t find the energy to do much during dinner, though Mark practically bubbled with excitement.

He caught Hana staring at him a few times, but she hadn’t approached him since the debacle at the healing house, so what did it matter? He made sure to stick close to Taeil as they made their way to the edge of town. Neo pack apparently hunted to the north edge, far away from anywhere Veteris patrolled, so they could apparently afford more relaxed guards.

Like Veteris, this pack’s Alpha stepped up to talk once they were all gathered.

“Good evening,” Sunmi started. “I hope you’ve all been having a good day. We’ve welcomed new pack members in the last few weeks. I’m sure everyone has met them. I hope we can all make them feel welcome during the hunt.”

Hana wasn’t too far from where where Kun stood at Taeil’s side. She sneered, but looked away when Kun turned. She stood with a small pack of girls who all seemed sulky. Were they the others who liked Taeil?

Well. That probably wasn’t a good sign. Kun sidled closer to Taeil. Taeil glanced down as his mother kept talking. “Is everything okay?”

Kun nodded. “I’m just a little cold.” It wasn’t even a lie.

Taeil looked hesitant, but wrapped an arm around Kun’s shoulders. “You’re welcome to whatever body heat I have, then.”

Kun tried not to blush as they stood there, closer than he had been to another person in a long time, and listened to the speech. Ten smirked at him when he noticed. Kun carefully flipped him off. At least the rest of their friends were paying attention.

“You may start shifting now.” Sunmi stepped back toward her mate and they both started to undress. Kun stepped away from Taeil so he could have space to change. This, at least, was familiar. Ten, Mark, and Jaehyun gravitated toward him as they stripped, to lay their clothes in a small pile. For once, Ten didn’t make a production out of changing. He seemed almost shy as he stripped down with the rest of them.

Kun couldn’t look anywhere once the clothes started coming off. The hunts pretty much killed any concept of modesty once one hit puberty, but it was different changing in front of these people than it had been in front of his old pack. Kun shifted as soon as his clothes were off. The pain was a familiar flash as fur rolled over him, protecting him for an entirely different reason. Ten and Mark had started at the same time, but Ten finished first. Mark’s slower shifts hadn’t changed. Jaehyun still stood, naked, watching the rest of the pack. Kun huffed at him. Jaehyun glanced around, blushing, and started to shift.

By the time Jaehyun rose on sandy paws, Mark was standing as well. Kun left it to Jaehyun to support him up, but still nosed over him until Mark sneezed and nudged them both away. He trotted around until he found Jungwoo. They nosed at each other almost shyly. It was cute. Ten pranced around, stretching out his muscles.

Kun turned to watch the rest of the group. He didn’t feel as much of a need to be wary of these wolves, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t watch. He hadn’t seen Taeil strip or shift, but as his wolf rose to his feet, he couldn’t picture it being anyone else.

Taeil was magnificent. The unusual red hair on his human form translated to luminous red fur on a wolf larger than Kun would have expected from someone of Taeil’s human size. Taeil shook out his fur and sneezed a couple of times before beginning to look around. Kun’s wolf wanted to move, and in this form he couldn’t be bothered to say no. Kun padded over. Taeil wagged his tail at Kun. 

Sunmi howled. The pack formed up. Kun stuck close behind Taeil as they raced into the forest. Their friends kept close in a slightly larger subpack than Kun was used to. They traveled further than Kun was familiar with; he hadn’t had much reason to go into the forest here. Kun didn’t like being in the center, but Taeil remained there. He did his best to keep an eye on everyone as they went. Ten had changed, but he hadn’t changed that much. He ranged out from their group in circles, forward and back. Taeyong watched him, tail twitching, but he kept to the rest of the group. Ten ran right up to Taeyong, almost brushing their tails together. Taeyong moved, but Ten ran off and this time Taeyong chased him in circles around their group. 

Jaehyun kept closer to Kun and the young ones than to Johnny or Doyoung. Kun brushed shoulders with him. Jaehyun sneezed, but rubbed back. Mark and Jungwoo kept pace with each other. He couldn’t see much of the others. Kun slowed down to get a better view of the group. Taeil glanced at him but didn’t slow. From the back, he had a much better view of the younger ones playing together.

Another wolf popped up in his periphery. He didn’t know the scent, but they stayed far enough away to be at a safe distance, so he ignored them. Donghyuck almost bowled Jeno over. Jeno nudged him back, but didn’t give chase.

More wolves closed in. He didn’t recognize them, but surely that was normal for a pack this size. Kun kept on.

He scented Hana just as she cut him off from the rest of his subpack. So that’s what this was all about. The other wolves closed in, until Kun was enclosed in a circle of strange wolves. He seethed. It wasn’t enough to come into his workplace, disrupt his days by annoying him. They had to interrupt the one thing he had always managed to enjoy about pack life and separate him from his friends. From Taeil. All this, and for what?

His wolf wanted to growl. Kun knew better. He kept pace with them, waiting for their next move. He wouldn’t let them capture him. After another few feet, the girls slowed in sync, forcing Kun to slow down as they lagged behind the pack. They tightened the circle

Teeth nipped at his heels. Kun twisted to see one of the wolves just behind him, snarling. Gold eyes flickered. It wasn’t just the wolf who was angry, then, but the human as well. He could have guessed as much. She lunged for him. Kun dodged out of her way. He was done playing.

Kun loped a few more paces, gathering himself, before he shot ahead. Hana had been startled by her friend’s lunge and left a little space in the circle. He surged through it. He wasn’t as fast as Ten, but he had been running faster than any of them before they lulled him into their circle. Kun gained yards on them before he risked a look. The girls growled as they tried to catch up.

Kun took a page out of Ten’s book. He lowered himself into a mockery of a play bow before snarling. It enraged Hana. He was just close enough to see her eyes flash, though he couldn’t hear the snarl that curled her lip. He sped away.

They had almost lost the pack. He followed their trail, zipping around trees and branches as he went. The trail split off at one point, moving around a cluster of trees. He could feel the girls just far enough behind him. Kun sped into the cluster. He hopped on his paws as he surveyed it. Branches covered what looked like a hole in the ground. Paws trampled the dirt behind him. Kun backed up, sped forward, and leapt over the branches to the edge of the tree cluster.

Hana and the girls didn’t even look as they ran after him. As one, they tripped through the branches and fell into the hole. It wasn’t terribly deep. Kun crept closer. The hole wasn’t terribly deep. Hana snapped at him. Kun grinned, tongue lolling out between his teeth. They could get out—eventually—if they worked together. He turned to run back to the group. 

The eyes of the entire pack seemed to be on him when he rejoined the group. He trotted back to Taeil’s side, tail wagging behind him. He couldn’t help it. His wolf was just too happy. And he was still riding the adrenaline. Taeil nosed over him. Kun just wriggled. They friends almost knocked him over trying to make sure he was okay. He let himself be fussed over. It was actually a little funny to see Mark so worried over him considering how this usually went.

Taeil barked at one of the guards, gesturing back the way Kun had come. She bowed her head and trotted off. The pack kept going. They moved on to a large clearing. The guards did a quick sweep before they would allow anyone into the clearing. Kun kept close to Taeil as they entered. Some couples split off; he thought he saw Minho and Sunmi at the edge of the clearing, and Yukhei nudged Dejun away from the rest of the group. Most of the others frolicked. Kun sat to rest.

The girls straggled back in eventually, covered in dirt and looking annoyed. They all sent glares his way, but none dared approach. Taeil cocked his head in question. Kun preened. They deserved it. Someone nipped at his tail. Ten bounced when Kun turned, then nipped him again. Kun burst off the ground to chase him. Taeil’s gaze was a weight as they played, but he didn’t mind for once. Ten wore him out after a while, and Kun dropped to the ground just where he had been by Taeil’s side. Taeil set his tail over Kun’s. Kun sighed as he put down his head. The moon shone bright and bold as Kun rested with his pack.

***

He elected not to shift to human when they returned to the village. The adrenaline was beginning to fade and he didn’t want to shift in front of the girls. Kun wagged his tail when Mark asked if he planned to shift. Mark pet his head and didn’t ask any more questions. That was a side benefit. Taeil scooped up Kun’s clothes once the others had finished shifting. Several people watched him, including Hana, but Kun couldn’t be bothered to care. Kun pressed close to Taeil’s legs until they actually left the area.

“Are you okay?” Taeil asked when they were almost alone on the street. “I think we all checked you out enough to know you’re not physically hurt, but are you okay? I’m sorry, I really thought this was over.”

Kun brushed against Taeil’s leg as they walked and let his tongue hang out as he grinned. What was there to worry about? He’d won.

Taeil put Kun’s clothes on the guest bed when they arrived home. “I’ll be out in the living room for a while if you want to talk.”

Kun waited until Taeil had closed the door behind him before he shifted. He scrambled back into his clothes as soon as he could and sat on his bed. Everything felt different in his human skin. What had he been thinking? The girls were one thing; they had deserved to fall in the ditch. But what had he been thinking, with Taeil? Why did his wolf want to be so close?

Fatigue settled in his bones. He could think about it later. Taeil wasn’t threatening him. He had work in the morning. It was more important to be well-rested and take care of business. Kun crawled into bed and passed out.


	15. Chapter 15

He didn’t see any of the girls in his daily routine after the hunt. It helped him get things back to normal. He did, however, start seeing one of the alphas who had stared at him during the hunt around. As he went to work, when he went out for lunch, even a few times around the healing house. It was strange.

“Who was that?” Kun asked Jeno as they locked up.

“Who was who?” Jeno closed the doors behind them. “Did someone you don’t know yet come in?”

“Yes.” They started walking toward “There was this guy—alpha, tall, lighter hair with dark streaks—he looks familiar but I don’t know his name.”

“Oh.” Jeno rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s Byungwon. He’s kind of an ass.”

“How so?” the name set off something in Kun’s memory. He let it sit.

“He just doesn’t think anyone he doesn’t approve of is worth anything.” Jeno shrugged. “I don’t like him.”

Oh, that did it. Byungwon was the alpha whom Ten had challenged over the guard position. Kun wrinkled his nose. “That’s not very pleasant.”

He waved at Rose and Lisa as they passed. Jeno also wrinkled his nose. “Like I said, I don’t like him much. He’s just … annoying.”

Jeno finding someone annoying? Kun had to laugh. He ruffled Jeno’s hair.

“Was he hurt or something?”

Kun shrugged as they approached the courtyard. “I don’t think so. He was just in and out very briefly a couple of times. Maybe one of his friends was hurt?’

“Maybe.” They paused in the entryway. Byungwon stood at the edge, watching him again. He turned when Kun met his gaze. Weird. Kun shook it off. His friends already sat at their tables. Donghyuck looked to be telling a story.

“You know what?” Jeno turned. “I’m not hungry just yet. I think I need to go see what Donghyuck is stirring up.”

Ah, young love. Kun laughed but let Jeno go. He waved at Taeil as he made his way over to the food table. The back of his neck prickled as he moved through the line. He turned and stopped abruptly in front of Byungwon. “Hello?”

“Do you really think you deserve all this?” Byungwon stood too close. Eyes were on them. Kun couldn’t step back without giving ground. He tightened his grip on the plate.

“Excuse me?”

Byungwon crossed his arms. “You. Everyone’s so enamored by you now because of the hunt. Do you really think you deserve it? You’re an outsider here. You shouldn’t get to rule us.”

Ah, so this was what Jeno had meant. It was oddly reminiscent of Ten’s little episode. Kun kept the plate steady in front of himself. “Is that what your problem is with me? I came from somewhere else so I can’t be trusted?”

Byungwon nodded matter-of-factly. “Yes. You don’t know what’s best for us. You’ve never seen what we’ve been through, and who knows what your old pack instilled in you.”

Kun bit his tongue. Such a strong alpha with his big, important words. That was exactly what he couldn’t say. Biyu had always said an alpha like this couldn’t be dealt with head-on. Now he knew what she meant.

“Right, because of course my old pack treated me so very well when I was with them. They treated me so well I got traded away to this pack.” Kun cocked his head. “Is that why you were at my workplace today? I thought one of your friends was injured, but you were checking up on me, weren’t you?”

Byungwon nodded. “I wanted to judge for myself.”

Kun nodded along in a show of agreement. “And what did you see in the healing house?”

Byungwon frowned. “I didn’t see much.”

“Because you only saw me doing my job?” Kun cocked his head. “Have you checked up on me in other ways?”

“I’ve been asking people about you.” He waved. “Patients. I don’t think your friends can be unbiased.”

Because Byungwon was so unbiased himself. “Mhm. And did you find anything? Have I harmed any of the people who ever came to me for help?”

Byungwon kept frowning. “No, they all seemed happy with you except for that one Hana girl.”

“Yes. And can you see why she wouldn’t be?”

“Not really.”

“Not even because I’m to become Taeil’s mate and that means she can’t have him?”

Byungwon didn’t seem to grasp the concept.

Kun shrugged. “You’ve made two assumptions that aren’t serving you well. The first is that my old pack treated me well at all and that I would have any loyalty to them. The second is the same assumption Hana made—that I couldn’t care about anyone here and must be deceiving you all. Now, if those were true, would I be helping any of you in this pack?” It wasn’t entirely true—Kun could be a spy helping people to provide a cover—but he bet this idiot wouldn’t think ahead. “Would I have made friends? Would I be courting one of your alphas? Don’t you think if I meant you harm I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near any of you?”

Byungwon stepped back slightly. “I don’t know about that.”

“You don’t know about what?” Kun tilted his head the other way. Alphas liked to see that, even if it wasn’t the fully exposed neck of submission. As long as he kept his gaze tight on Byungwon’s face, it wouldn’t look like backing off. “Do I seem harmful to you?”

He frowned. “Well, no.”

“So, perhaps,” Kun suggested gently, “perhaps do you think you might have been wrong in your initial assumptions? You think I’m harmful and shouldn’t be given authority. That’s not your place to say, and it’s not your place to decide what I can and can’t be trusted with. But even if it were, what exactly have I done that’s so wrong? The alphas in my old pack weren’t very good people. If I judged you by the way they treated me, that wouldn’t be very fair, would it?”

Byungwon just shrugged.

“It wouldn’t, because I would be judging you for something out of your control.” It was like talking to a child. At least he’d had plenty of practice when Chenle was younger. “But aren’t you doing the same to me?” Kun flattened his palms under the plate. It was insane that he had been welcomed into this pack as easily as he had. Perhaps Byungwon had the more reasonable opinion. Kun kept his breathing slow and his scent calming while waited for Byungwon to reason through it. But he couldn’t let one stupid alpha take what he’d earned away from him.

“I guess you have a point, but I still don’t trust you.”

Kun shrugged. “You don’t have to trust me yet. You don’t know me and I don’t know you. But your approval isn’t going to determine who I spend my life with. You don’t speak for the pack council, do you?”

Byungwon shook his head.

“You trust your pack council, right?”

He nodded again.

“Then here’s a thought—perhaps you can trust them to make a decision about me,” Kun said gently. “Can you trust that they would not hand power to someone who could not be trusted?”

“I guess.” Byungwon eased back again.

“Great. Would you mind letting me pass so I can enjoy my dinner in peace with my friends and the person I’m courting?”

Byungwon still watched him carefully, but stepped out of his way. Kun refused to look around as he made his way to the tables his subpack had begun to push together for more convenient eating. He had been too focused on Byungwon to check on his friends during the encounter, but Taeil stood in front of their tables waiting for him. He waved as Kun approached. His smile was so wide, Kun couldn’t help returning a little one. Taeil stepped up to meet Kun when he came within reach.

“Look at you, talking down idiots,” he murmured, too low for anyone else to hear. “That was impressive. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone talk Byungwon out of something before he hit his head on something stupid in years.”

“Is he really that stubborn?” Kun let Taeil lead him back to the table. They sat next to each other, backs to the rest of the courtyard. Across from him, both Ten nad Taeyong looked like they were fighting laughter.

“You really showed him, huh?” Ten choked out. “Gods, I hate that guy.”

“You’re not alone.” Taeyong stabbed his chicken. “Byungwon takes it upon himself to decide how things should be and enforce them, no matter what anyone else says or thinks. Kun was right, he only really listens to the council. Not that he thinks that includes us.” He waved around the table.

“It will, eventually.” Taeil rubbed Kun’s back. “He’ll have to deal with it then. You handled that really well considering you don’t know his style at all. That was probably the only thing he would have listened to.”

Kun felt flushed under all the praise. He shrugged. “His reasoning sounded a lot like my baby cousin’s when he was younger so I just pretended he was a less-nice version.”

All of his friends who actually knew Chenle cracked up. It was a risk, mentioning him, but even Ten wouldn’t push him on it when he dodged the others’ questions. As the conversation went on, Kun tried to banish the ache that mentioning Chenle brought on. Taeil glanced over a few times, but he seemed to have picked up that Kun didn’t want to talk. He didn’t push, even when they were behind closed doors.

***

What was going on? Kun couldn’t get away from the question as he went to work the next days after. He saw patients, changed bandages, cleaned in a kind of daze. Kun pulled away from clearing up one of the berths when Ten wandered in. He went to meet him.

“What are you doing here?”

Ten shrugged. “I had a fall during training and Taeyong was concerned so he sent me over. I think I’m okay?”

Kun rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t have any way of knowing that. Come here.” He dragged Ten over to the nearest bed. “Sit. What did you fall on?”

Ten patted his elbow. “I mean, I fell on my back, but the elbow was what worried everyone.”

“Does everyone mean Taeyong?” Kun took Ten’s arm gently.

Ten grinned. “Maybe.”

It unsettled something in him as he inspected Ten’s arm down to the elbow. His wolf seemed fine, so maybe it was just him. Kun pressed gently around his elbow. “Does this hurt?”

Ten shook his head. He kept shaking it as Kun checked different parts, but giggled when Kun pressed his funny bone. “Why would you do that?”

“Just checking.” He released Ten’s arm. “You’re fine, he doesn’t have to worry.” He moved some of his supplies around.

Ten cocked his head. “Are you okay? You seem distracted.”

Kun shrugged. He pushed his seat back. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not.”

He sighed. How could he tell Ten when he didn’t even know himself what he felt? Especially when Ten seemed so happy now. He waved. “I’m just—I miss Chenle.”

Ten sagged. “I miss him, too. You said Taeil promised to try getting him over here?”

Oh, no, he didn’t want to talk about it. Kun cleared his throat. “Yeah, when we have to interact with Veteris he’s said he’ll try. For now there’s nothing we can do.”

Chenle’s specter haunted him even after Ten left. Renjun came into the healing house just as Kun was about to go on his lunch break to drag him somewhere.

“Where are we going?” Kun tried to keep pace as Renjun clung to his arm.

“Kunhang’s upset, you need to come talk to him.” Renjun dragged him around a few corners. Where were they going?

“But why?” Kun didn’t bother fighting it. “What help will I be?”

Renjun shrugged. “He likes you, you’re older and wiser and all that, you can talk him down. Right?”

He looked far too much like a more serious Chenle. Kun coughed. “I—I can try?”

“That’s good enough.” 

He finally figured out where they were going. Kun sped up a bit so he wasn’t actually getting dragged as they made it to the space behind Kunhang and Yangyang’s house. Jaemin, Donghyuck, and Yukhei sat in a little circle with Kunhang. Renjun sat next to his mate. Kun sat in the empty space left to him. “What’s going on?”

Kunhang shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “I’m fine. I’m sorry you got dragged all the way here. Shouldn’t you be working?”

Kun held up his lunch. “It’s my lunch break and I’ve got my food.” He set it in his lap. “You don’t have to talk to me. I can just sit here and eat. But if your friends think I can help you, I’m not going to walk away.”

Kunhang just shrugged and picked at his food. Renjun cuddled into Jaemin. They were eating, at least, and not doing anything it would pain him to see. Donghyuck just stared back at him with a long suffering expression. Yangyang wasn’t anywhere. Was this a mate thing?

Kunhang finally sighed and pushed his food away. “Yangyang and I had a fight and they’re worried about me. Jeno, if he’s out for lunch, Dejun, and Jisung are probably doing the same thing with him right now.”

“Okay … and why am I here?” Kun pointed at the others. “I’m the least mated person here. I’m glad to listen, but why would I be any more useful than the rest of them?”

Kunhang shrugged.

“You’re an outside perspective to this particular situation,” Donghyuck said finally. “They brought up things we’ve all had opinions on, and you might be able to explain things in a different way without the context we have.”

“Okay?”

Kunhang sighed and got up to pace. “We just disagree about how to handle my heats. It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid.” That explained the request, at least. A group of alphas and a beta not mated to omegas wouldn’t have any idea how to handle this kind of thing. “What are you disagreeing about?”

“It—we haven’t—” He whined. “It’s embarrassing. We haven’t spent any of my heats together.”

Huh. “Okay. How long have you been mated?”

“About a year and a half.”

Kun shifted in his seat. “So it’s been a few times. Do you mind if I ask what the actual disagreement is about?”

Kunhang snorted as he passed. “It’s not that I’m not ready, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Yukhei leaned over. “That’s all we’ve been able to get him to admit, but I’m getting a strong impression he doesn’t want to talk about whatever Yangyang thinks.”

Kun turned to watch Kunhang pass behind them. “Is that true?”

Kunhang groaned. “I—you know what, fine. He leaves me with a friend of ours who’s also an omega and comes back to help me after. He always says that he’s just worried about me, but this was the third time and I’m starting to think he just doesn’t want to do it.”

Oh. Kun scrubbed his face with his hands. “First, you understand I have very little experience in this area. That being said, if you don’t think that boy wants you, you’re not looking very well.” Yangyang looked at Kunhang like he hung the moon. It was very sweet. “He loves you. He’s probably never been around an omega in heat and is afraid he could hurt you.”

“That’s what I said,” Donghyuck said. 

Kunhang threw his arms up. “But refusing me is hurting me.”

“Does he know that?” Jaemin pulled Kunhang to a stop with a hand on his wrist. “Have you made that clear to him?”

Kunhang wilted. “I don’t know. I thought so, but …”

Kun cocked his head. “Have you tried telling him what it feels like, going through a heat alone? Actually describing it to him? It’s a pretty compelling experience.”

Kunhang sat. “I haven’t. Do you think it would help?” He looked so hopeful.

Was it even his place to give such advice? “In my very limited experience, I think so.”

Kunhang hugged him. “Thank you. I’ll go find him.” He dashed off. The others hugged him, too, before leaving him to eat. They left him with a lot to think about.

***

He went back to Taeil’s house after work instead of going to dinner, asking Jeno to let everyone know that he was tired. Taeil kept plenty of food in storage in the house, and had started looking for the things Kun said he liked. He made himself some soup.

Kun sat. It felt strange, eating by himself. This made no sense. Things were better here for everyone. Mark was blooming, Ten seemed the happiest he’d ever been, even Jaehyun had been much better since what happened with Dejun and Yukhei. Why was it so easy for them and not for him? Under the smell of soup filling the kitchen lingered Taeil’s scent. Why didn’t that seem bad?

He got up to pace. All he had ever wanted was freedom. That’s what he’d always said. He paced into the living room. The scents grew even stronger. Ten had said it himself that night after their last hunt with Veteris, that all he wanted was to run off to the forest to be alone.

He could have done it, could have taken Chenle and run even after his grandmother died if he had had any energy. Kun turned from the pictures of Taeil’s family. But then Ten, Mark, and Jaehyun would have been sent somewhere he didn’t know all by themselves. He could do it now, but it would mean leaving all the people he’d come to care about behind. Never seeing Chenle again. Another stab to the chest.

His wolf grumbled as Kun paced. He had been pouting for ages now and Kun couldn’t figure out why. The poor thing wasn’t exactly being forthcoming, either. He paced and paced, but found no answers in Taeil’s furniture or pictures.

Footsteps pounded past the door as people started coming back from dinner. The idea of seeing Taeil right now made both him and his wolf turn tail and run for his room. Kun readied for bed and hid long before Taeil appeared. His dreams were murky and disturbed, wolves he couldn’t name chasing him through woods he could barely navigate.


	16. Chapter 16

He was almost afraid to leave his room in the morning. Kun clenched the doorknob. He hadn’t been afraid here in weeks. He wasn’t about to let this get to him. He slunk into the kitchen.

Taeil was already there, finishing breakfast. He frowned at Kun. “Good morning. Are you okay? Jeno said you weren’t feeling well last night.”

Kun shrugged and moved to get out the plates and cutlery. “I was just really tired, is all. I ate here and went to bed early.”

“I noticed.” Taeil took a plate from him; their fingers brushed. Kun shivered and moved away. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Kun moved to the other side of the table and served himself. “I didn’t miss anything important, did I?”

Taeil shook his head. “Kunhang nad Yangyang made up, apparently. I hadn’t realized they were fighting.”

Kun couldn’t help the noise that came out of him. “You don’t notice a lot of things.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Maybe it wasn’t fair. Kun hadn’t known for a while, either. But he was so— “You didn’t notice their fight, you didn’t realize those girls were all into you.” He shrugged. “You’re just striking me as more than a little oblivious right now.” 

Taeil frowned at him. “I wouldn’t call myself oblivious, exactly.”

“What would you call it, then?”

“I don’t really want to debate vocabulary, but I can at least tell something’s going on with you.”

“What do you mean?” Kun focused on his food. “I’m fine.”

Taeil eyed him. “If you say so.”

They finished their meal in silence. Kun couldn’t get out of the house fast enough. He was glad Dejun didn’t have to escort him everywhere anymore, because he made double time to the healing house on his own. Jeno and Jihyo were already there getting set up. He threw himself into work with a vengeance. Soon enough, he didn’t have time to think.

Kun ripped out of the zone he had thrown himself into when Mark showed up holding a small bouquet. He waved Kun over.

“What’s this?” Kun asked as soon as he was close enough.

Mark held out the flowers. “Taeil came by and asked me to make up a bouquet for you. He said he doesn’t know all your favorites yet or he would do it himself, but not to show him. He wanted to learn them from you.”

Kun stared at it. Tulips, peonies, foxglove. Mark had done a good job. The backs of his eyes burned.

“Kun?” Mark edged closer, lowering his voice. “Are you okay?”

“Hm?”

“You look kind of…” he trailed off and glanced around. “I didn’t get the arrangement wrong, did I?”

He shook his head. “No, it’s lovely.” He took the bouquet with numb fingers. “Come with me?”

He looked confused, but followed Kun to the corner where it would be harder to hear them. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just …” It wasn’t any easier trying to say it to Mark, but at least he had a better idea of what to say now. “I’m just really confused.”

Mark bit his lip. “About you-know-what?”

They had never named anything like that but he had to be talking about Taeil. Kun nodded. “I don’t know what to do. The flowers are really nice, though.”

Mark nodded along. “Is there anything we can do?”

Would they even have an idea? Kun bit his lip. “I don’t know. Maybe?” It couldn’t hurt to talk to his friends, could it? “Instead of having dinner with the rest with everyone, could you get Ten and Jaehyun to come eat with us so we can talk?”

Mark brightened. He nodded knowingly. “I’ll tell Jungwoo we’re taking time for ourselves tonight.”

“Are you seeing him later?” Kun couldn’t help teasing him. Mark blushed bright red.

“Shut up.”

Kun laughed, but let Mark go. “Go on. Let everyone know for me, okay? We can eat in the park.”

Mark waved him off and left. Kun found a glass to put the flowers in and tried to get back to work. He still had hours until dinner.

***

Kun made his way to the trees where they had taken to having lunch. Ten, Mark, and Jaehyun were already there. Jaehyun was telling a story about one of his kids. Thankfully, the park was empty.

“And he wouldn’t let go of me the rest of the day.”

Kun dropped next to him. “That’s really cute.”

“Isn’t it just?” Jaehyun wriggled. “I love my job.”

Kun smiled at him. “I’m glad.”

“So.” Ten folded himself over until he was right in front of Kun’s legs. “Are you ready to tell us what’s wrong?”

Kun leaned away a little. “I’m going to try but that face is scaring me.”

Ten smiled innocently. “What face?”

“Hmm.” Kun sat back up. “I don’t know where to start.”

“Start with what’s wrong.”

“That’s not helpful.” He pushed Ten back.

“You said it was about Taeil,” Mark said quietly. “When we talked earlier. And you had a reaction to the flowers.”

Kun sighed. “I’m just … really confused.”

“Confused how?”

He shrugged. “This whole thing started as a fake relationship to cover us all politically.”

“Wait.” Ten leaned forward. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I’m not saying anything yet. What do you think I’m saying?’

“You like Taeil?”

Kun crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t say anything like that.”

“Yeah, but you do, right?” Ten perked up. “You’ve gotten closer recently. Is that what this is about? You like him and you’re conflicted because it started out fake.”

“I—” Kun slumped back into the tree. “I just—” 

“That’s it, right?” Ten leaned forward again. “You like him. I’ve seen the way you act around him, with the touching and the blushing and all. You’ve never liked anyone like that, right?”

“I haven’t—what does that have to do with anything? I don’t like him.” Kun crossed his arms.

Ten rolled his eyes. “Yes, you do. Why is that so hard to admit?”

“What about you, then?” Kun snapped. He had been so angry, when they came here. So had Ten. “What changed for you? We all hated the idea of being traded like chattel but as soon as we got here, something changed and it was like it didn’t matter anymore. What happened to you?”

“What do you mean?” Ten’s face was too pale.

“I mean what I said.” He clenched his fists. “You and I were always the angriest. You provoked people left and right back with Veteris. I get not wanting to start a war here, but it was like Taeyong took one look at you and you went soft. What happened?”

Ten’s gaze flickered. Mark looked confused and hesitant. Jaehyun bit his lip.

“Why does it matter what happened?” Ten asked, voice shaky. “It’s better here. We’re treated like people, we get to do things we’re good at, things we love. You were just telling Jaehyun you’re happy for him having his job. You were supportive of me joining the guards. You get to be a healer here. How is this bad? What’s wrong with this picture?”

“I don’t know, the part where we didn’t get a choice in the matter?” Kun flung his arms out. “Because we didn’t. We were dragged here by people we hate, chosen by people we didn’t know, and forced to stay with them. Regardless of how they’ve treated us, regardless of all the other things here—I’m not saying those things aren’t good, or that I don’t enjoy the work I do—but it can’t matter as much as the fact that we didn’t get to choose it. How can that not matter to you?”

Ten shook his head. “That’s your real problem, isn’t it?” he said softly, like volume would break something. “That’s your problem with Taeil. You like him, and you don’t know how to handle that because it’s like giving in.”

“So what if it is?” Kun gritted his teeth. “I asked you a question.”

Ten still looked too pale as he swallowed. “You want to know why I don’t care?” he shook his head. “That’s not true. I care, probably almost as much as you. But I’m not as much of an idealist as you are.” His eyes shone. “I’ve always been a little more pragmatic than that. You want freedom at the cost of everything else—except for the people who tie you down, like us.” He waved around the circle. “Or Chenle. But me? All I ever wanted was one thing.”

Ten smiled, and it was bitter. “You wanted to know why I provoked all the alphas back there? I hated them, because they thought they were entitled to something I never wanted to give them, something I never thought I could have.” He glanced at Jaehyun , who nodded. “I never said anything because I didn’t want to get you in trouble with me if someone found out.”

“What are you talking about?” Kun wanted to comfort him, wanted to move, wanted to do something. He was frozen by the pain in every line of Ten’s body, pain he hadn’t seen in ages.

Ten’s eyes were wet. “You were never interested in any of the people back there, right?” he whispered. “The alphas, the betas, the omegas. Men, women, otherwise, none of them.”

“They were horrible.” He could name the not-horrible people on one hand.

Ten laughed wetly. “Yes, they were horrible, but you weren’t attracted to any of them, right? Just answer the question.”

Kun had to roll his eyes. “No, I wasn’t attracted to any of them.”

Ten shrugged. “I don’t know where you stand on all this, because we’ve never talked about it much. But except for Taeil—and don’t think I’ve let that go—you’ve never seemed interested in anyone, ever.”

Kun shook his head. “I haven’t been.” Taeil … he didn’t know what to do with Taeil.

Ten shrugged tightly. His gaze was distant, looking at things Kun couldn’t see. “I was really young when I realized that I liked omegas the way most people think omegas are supposed to like alphas.”

It shouldn’t have been a surprise. It still felt like Ten had hit him over the head with a stick. He kept his gaze on Ten and hoped he looked something like supportive as Ten continued.

Ten licked his lips. “That never would have flown with anyone back there. I always knew it. Like I said, I never said anything because I didn’t want you to get in trouble if anyone found out. The one thing I wanted in the world, I never thought I could have it. It made me so angry, because all those alphas didn’t even have to think about it and they could get whatever they wanted. I hated the way they looked at me, so I bent the rules just enough to make them angry because it at least gave me that.”

It clicked. “And then we came here.”

Ten nodded. “And then we came here.” His smile was so, so bright. “And an omega stepped forward and said he was my mate. Not that I was his, that he was mine. He asked me to let him know me. It was everything I’d ever wanted and everything I thought I couldn’t have.” He shrugged again. “I get why you’re so angry, I do, but all I ever wanted was to be free to love, and here? Here I can have that and so much more.” He swallowed. “So?”

“So?”

Ten blinked at him. “You don’t have anything to say to that?”

What to say first? Kun ran his fingers through the grass. “You’re right, I’ve never been into anyone and I’ve never really thought about it, but considering how over the moon you are for Taeyong I really shouldn’t have been surprised.”

Ten laughed; a little wet, but bright. “That’s a good point.”

Jaehyun didn’t seem at all phased when Kun looked over, but Mark had his mouth open wide.

Ten giggled. “What about you, Markie?”

“Me?” Mark looked a little pink. “What about me? Why should I care? You and Taeyong are really cute?”

Ten laughed again. Jaehyun still hadn’t spoken.

“How did you figure that out?” Kun cocked his head. “You said you knew young.”

“Oh.” Ten glanced at Jaehyun again. “Well. You remember after all the illness died down, how Jaehyun and I were roommates in the orphan dorms?”

Oh, no way. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Ten smirked. “What do you think I’m saying?”

Kun pointed between them. “The two of you?”

Jaehuyn was blushing now, too. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking? What happened?”

Ten shrugged. “We were curious, so we … experimented a little? It never really went anywhere or I would have told you, I promise.”

Kun shook his head, trying to make the pieces fit. “No, I’m not worried about that. It didn’t make things awkward?”

They both shrugged. “It really wasn’t as much as you’re thinking,” Jaehyun said. His face was starting to clear up. “We just kissed a little. And it was mostly to help Ten. It clarified things for both of us, and that was all it needed to be.”

Kun nodded slowly.

“Now,” Ten drawled, leaning forward to balance himself with hands on Kun’s knees, “back to you.”

“Um.”

“You called us here for a reason.” Ten cocked his head. “And I think I know what it’s about. You can’t reconcile Taeil with the freedom thing?”

He shrugged helplessly. “You said it before, I want to be free to choose. No matter how good this place could be, I didn’t get to choose it. I can’t let go of that. How do I let go?”

Ten shook his head.

“Why does it matter so much to you?” Jaehyun leaned against Kun’s side. “I’m not saying it shouldn’t, but why does it?”

He sighed. “I don’t know how to explain it in words. I just … I’ve always hated anyone making choices for me. And we had so much of that back there. Here.” He bit his lip. “I know it’s different here. I do. But even though I get to choose everything else, that doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t get to choose the most basic thing about this situation.”

“Taeil.”

Kun nodded. “And I hate that. I don’t know what to do about it.”

Mark frowned. “But you don’t hate him, right? I know Ten kind of set you off earlier with this, but it does really look like you like him.”

“Is that what this is?” Kun flailed a little. “I’ve never been attracted to anyone, I don’t know what it’s like. Am I exhibiting symptoms?”

Ten snorted. “Gods, you’re such a healer. Yes, you’re exhibiting symptoms of attraction.”

Kun frowned. “I don’t like that. It makes things harder.”

“Well, what do you want to do about it?” Ten waved. “Do you want to run off into the woods and live alone?”

“Not anymore.”

“Do you want to leave Taeil?”

“It doesn’t matter, that would start a war.”

“But do you want to?”

“I don’t know!”

Mark put a hand on Kun’s knee. “Take that out of it for a second,” he said. “Think about it. If the claiming weren’t in the picture, would you want to stay?”

It didn’t matter. “But it is in the picture. That’s the problem I can’t get past. I don’t know how to reconcile that.”

“I think you should talk to him.” Jaehyun sat up. “I think we all know that was where my problem was.”

“Not really,” Ten said. “You don’t really talk about it.”

Jaehyun gave a flat stare. Ten put his hands up. “Okay, it was pretty obvious, sorry.”

“I didn’t just ask and I caused myself a lot of grief and it sucked. I don’t know what he can fix, but it’s between the two of you, not between us.”

“I think you’re underestimating him,” Mark said softly. “It would be tricky, but I think if you didn’t want to be with him, Taeil would let you go.”

His wolf whined at that. How ironic. “That doesn’t really help, Mark. It’s still not my choice, then.”

“Oh, my gods, just talk to him,” Ten screeched. “You can’t move on until you talk to him.”

They had a point. Kun flopped against Jaehyun. “Fine. I will talk to him when I figure out how to. Can we go back to not talking about me and maybe eat dinner?”

“Sure.” Ten’s grin was almost feral. “We can talk about Markie and how badly Jungwoo is flustering him today.”

Mark turned bright red and sputtered. “What—I am not flustered!”

“You do get flustered.” Kun finally reached for his food. “I barely mentioned him earlier and you went all red.”

Mark grumbled into his food, but he didn’t stop them from teasing as they finished dinner.

***

Kun stopped in the doorway when he arrived got back. Taeil waited for him on the couch. That hadn’t happened in a while. He didn’t stand when he saw Kun. That was new, too.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Kun swung the door shut. It was still weird not to lock it. “How was dinner?”

“Fine. Everyone missed you all.” Taeil still didn’t stand. Why was it so cold? “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.” Maybe he had just promised his friends he would talk to Taeil, but this wasn’t the way to start. “We just wanted to have dinner together.”

“Right.” Taeil tilted his head.

Kun started across the room.

“You don’t have to lie to me, you know.”

He stopped dead. “What?”

Taeil waved. “You’re being weird. I don’t know why, but you don’t seem to want to spend any time in the same room with me, and this is the third time you’ve skipped the group dinner. You don’t seem to be ill, so something’s wrong. I can’t force you to talk to me, but you don’t have to lie.”

Kun turned. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Tell me you don’t want to talk about it yet, or at all. Tell me there’s something going on and you’re not ready. Just tell me something, please.” He looked—it was the oddest mix of anger and sadness.

“It’s not a new thing.” Kun set his feet. “It’s the same thing that I’ve been having trouble with since I came here. I just can’t ignore it anymore.”

“What problem?” Taeil stood. “You never told me. I know it’s more than just being put in a situation with a strange alpha.”

His wolf whined and pouted, but Kun didn’t have words to put to that. He almost growled himself. “I don’t know how to tell you.” Kun backed up. “I don’t. It’s more than that, yes. It’s the same thing that’s been wrong my entire life, it feels like, and I don’t know how to fix it.” He smiled mirthlessly. “How’s that for honesty?”

Taeil spread his hands. “I just want to help. Is it me? Did I do something?”

That took the fight right out of him. “You didn’t do anything other than be here.” Kun backed away. “I don’t think this is something you can help with.”

He turned to go.

“Wait.”

Kun paused. “What?”

“There’s an important meeting tomorrow. I would have told you at dinner, but …” Taeil sounded tired, too. “I told Jihyo already, but they want to see you too.”

Of course. “I’ll be ready in the morning. Goodnight.” He escaped before Taeil could ask any more uncomfortable questions.


	17. Chapter 17

Kun kept just the slightest distance from Taeil as they made their way into the council house. Coming here once a week had desensitized him to the authority of the place. Under other circumstances he almost liked the building, but today something itched under his skin. It had been like that since Taeil refused to look him in the eye at breakfast. Some of the other council members were already there when they entered the meeting room, sitting around the circular table. Sunmi smiled at them; that was probably a good sign. Taeil pulled Kun’s chair out for him and sat next to him without ever touching him.

It wasn’t fair not to like it when he was the one causing all this. Shiwoo slunk in. He took the seat all the way across the table from Kun. Kun played with the fabric over his knees under the table as he waited. He didn’t like being across from a council member who barely acknowledged his existence.

Johnny and Doyoung came in together, smiling at both of them. Jungwoo squeezed Kun’s shoulder, and Taeyong dropped into the seat next to him. When everyone had arrived, Sunmi stood. “Thank you all for coming today.”

“Why are we all here?” Doyoung glanced around. “I’m not missing anyone, right? You hardly ever call us all in here.”

Sunmi nodded seriously. In the seat beside her, Minho looked displeased. From the few times he had met Minho, the man seemed very easygoing. That couldn’t be good. “Shiwoo requested I call the full council. He did tell me why, but I think I’ll let him fill you in on that.” She set her chin as she waved to Shiwoo and sat.

He stood. “I requested the full council be present because the issue I need to bring before us requires everyone’s vote.”

Before he spoke again, the air around Kun chilled. 

“I have concerns about how long it has taken the heir’s mate to be confirmed.” He looked right across the table at Kun. Oh. “You’ve been here for months and the two of you have not exchanged bites, nor have you entered into a formal agreement under the moon, as is traditional. It concerns me that we are allowing you so much access to our government when we don’t know if you will be one of our leaders.”

“Isn’t that kind of the point, though?” Taeyong waved a hand. “That potential mates to the council should be trained for as long as it takes before mating, when they would be expected to truly sit on the council?”

He shook his head. “Mates have been trained before, yes, but usually there is an expectation that that person will be a mate. Too, they can continue training after they are mated.” He waved at Kun, just barely polite. “Not to mention the way you joined our pack.”

“You mean the way I was traded to this pack.” His lips felt numb. A maelstrom swirled inside. His wolf would have been baring teeth. “That’s the real problem, isn’t it? You don’t like the way that went down.”

He shrugged. “If you had mated by now, I wouldn’t worry. But as things stand, I don’t think you should be a member of this council. I think, unless you are prepared to mate, you should be set aside.”

At least he had the courtesy to speak to Kun as a person while he threatened Kun’s position. The maelstrom worsened. Freedom, but at what cost?

Taeil stood. “How is that fair of you to demand? This isn’t your relationship, nor is it your place on the council.”

Minho gave a heavy sigh. “That’s what I said, but unfortunately there is legal precedent for mates being set aside.” He shrugged. “I would argue it doesn’t apply anymore, but that’s not my decision.”

“Shouldn’t it be Kun’s choice?’ Taeil waved at Kun. Kun froze. “It’s not you being set aside.” He turned back to Shiwoo. “It shouldn’t be your place to decide what happens. If he’s going to leave, let it be on his terms.”

He shook his head. “That’s not good enough.” He pointed to Kun. “I want to hear from his mouth his commitment to this pack and this council, or I want him set aside.” Their friends tried to protest, but Shiwoo only reiterated his point.

Kun’s wolf howled, almost too loud for Kun to capture in his throat. How dare he? How dare he threaten everything Kun had scraped together for himself? He was just getting good at this. Kun stood.

“I think you’ve forgotten something,” he said sweetly. “You’re making the assumption that a commitment means a bite. Maybe we’re not ready for that yet.” Beside him, Taeil was barely breathing. “What do you know about our relationship? We were strangers when I came here. Do you have a time limit, to the day, for how long it should take us to decide the rest of our lives? Did someone tell you and your mate,” he indicated Taehyun, next to Shiwoo, “how long your courtship should be? We go at the pace that suits us, not you. Please don’t misunderstand deferment for a lack of care.”

His wolf still howled, but the maelstrom settled a little as Shiwoo observed him. What a way to make a force himself to make a choice. But then, he had never been one for leaving his loved ones behind. Finally, Shiwoo nodded.

“That’s fair. I’ve never heard you say anything so certain about your place among us. As long as you remain committed to this pack and its council, I have no problem with you.” He sat.

Kun glanced around. Doyoung was applauding subtly. Johnny grinned at him. Taeyong smirked. The others seemed mildly pleased. Sunmi and Minho both beamed at him. He couldn’t look at Taeil. “Is that it? Does there need to be more discussion of my private life?”

“No,” Sunmi said gently, though the curve of her mouth seemed smug. “I believe we’ve covered that just fine.” Kun nodded and sat.

Apparently there was other business to be taken care of. Kun half-listened to things that need not involve him yet as his wolf settled within him and Taeil grew stiffer by the moment.

***

He had to go to work after the meeting, which was fine. It was a slow day. Dinner was quiet. Their friends on the council seemed to understand that what Kun had done wasn’t something to be gossiped about. Taeil sat next to him, still quiet, still cold. Kun’s wolf whined anxiously. Kun didn’t know what to tell him. Slow dread crept through him at the thought of what was probably coming. They walked home in silence. Kun paused in front of the door as Taeil took his shoes and coat off.

“Can we talk?” Taeil turned once he had moved far enough to be out of Kun’s way. Kun took his time taking off his shoes before he nodded. Taeil led him into the living room. Neither sat.

“I wanted to say thank you,” Kun started before Taeil could get at the real point. “For trying to stand up for me this morning.”

Taeil looked at him oddly. “Of course. It’s your choice what you do with your life. Shiwoo shouldn’t be able to take that away from you.”

It warmed him to hear. “Still. I know this whole thing has put you in an awkward position. So thank you for trying.”

Taeil shrugged. “I’ll take the thanks if you insist, but I really think that’s not what we should be talking about right now.”

“Right.” Kun fidgeted. “I don’t know where to start.”

“How about with what happened?” Taeil paced away and back. “It was out of nowhere, I know, but they basically offered you an out. You could have just said “I don’t know if I’m committed enough” and let them remove you without serious repercussions.”

“Well—”

Taeil shrugged. “Or, at least, not repercussions from you. But you—what you said was perfect, but I can’t understand why you did.”

Kun just shrugged.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?”

Taeil waved a hand. “The first days you were here, you said … I don’t remember the wording, but you said you resented being put in this position. That’s the issue, isn’t it? The thing you’ve been dealing with.” There was just the slightest hint of red at the edge of his gaze as he came slightly closer to Kun. “That you didn’t get any input on being put in this position.” Kun couldn’t look away. “You want to be free, right?”

“Freedom is all I’ve ever wanted.” That much had always been true.

“Then why didn’t you take it?” Taeil’s voice was ragged with things Kun could only guess at. “It was right there. They could have just taken you out and you would have been free. Instead you locked yourself right back with me. Why?”

Kun pursed his lips. “What you said back there—did you mean it?”

“What?” Taeil blinked at him.

“You said it should be my choice,” Kun repeated the words that had made his heart skip a beat. “That whether I stayed or went should be up to me no one else. Did you mean that? If I asked you to, would you let me go?”

“Of course.” Taeil said like it was a given. “I know I trapped you by reacting as I did when we met. I’ve been sorry for it ever since. I never wanted to force you into something. It would be really complicated—not even after today, just the whole thing is complicated. But I swear, if you wanted to leave me, or the pack, I would do everything in my power to make sure that you could.”

It was impossible to doubt the sincerity written all over him. Something eased in his chest at that.

Taeil searched his face. “If that’s what you want, I’ll do it, but after tonight I don’t know what you want.”

“I don’t know what I want.” Maybe Ten had given him an inkling, but … Kun bit his lip. “I need to think about all this.”

Taeil sagged. He stepped back. “That’s fair.”

He needed out. Kun backed toward the door. “I’m gonna go for a walk. I won’t be long.”

“Right. Okay.” Taeil sat on the couch. “I’ll wait for you.”

“I won’t be long.” He hoped, anyway. Kun took his coat as he left. 

He started down the street toward the park. He had been acting without thinking for too long. He hadn’t even thought before protecting his position, only been angry that someone wanted to take it away. But why the hell did he care? He turned a few corners. Were his friends right?

The park was quiet, which was understandable in the middle of the night. Kun wandered around the trees. What did he want? Taeil had just acknowledged his choice. It upended everything. 

How did he feel about Taeil? Kun wandered between the trees. He was a strange alpha. He was a good person. Taeil was weird, and kind, and funny. He asked Kun about his boundaries before anything even happened. He had looked so happy to be told he could touch Kun casually.

He pulled up short when he almost ran into someone. “Hello?”

“Kun?” The someone pulled back. It was Kunhang. “Oh, hi. What are you doing up?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Kun fidgeted. “Is everything okay?”

Kunhang shrugged. “I just couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to wake Yangyang, so I came down here. What about you?”

Kun shrugged. “I just have a lot to think about.”

Kunhang cocked his head. “Is everything okay? I heard something happened with the council today.”

“What did you hear?”

He shrugged. “Just that something happened. Everyone said that everything was fine, but I can’t think of anything else that would have happened.”

Kun moved to pace again. Kunhang turned to walk with hm. “I just have a lot on my mind.” He bit his lip. “You and Yangyang had a fight.”

Kunhang nodded. He frowned. “Did you and Taeil fight?”

“Not exactly.” Kun squirmed. “There’s a longer talk we’ve been having. I’m just thinking. How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“How did you know he was most important?”

“Yangyang?” It was too dark to tell for sure, but he thought Kunhang might be blushing. “I never really cared, before him. Yangyang’s family joined the pack when I was about 14.” He shrugged. “I never thought I was missing anything from my life, until I met him.”

“Were you missing something?”

He smiled sweetly. “I was missing him, and I didn’t even know it.”

“So you needed him?” He didn’t want to need anyone.

Kunhang shook his head. “I wasn’t lacking anything. I was fine. My life was fine.” He waved a hand. “It’s just that he makes me happier than being alone does. And that’s worth everything.”

He makes me happier than being alone. Kun ruminated on those words as they walked. That was the crux of it, wasn’t it? He could never leave people he cared about behind because they meant more to him than the idea of freedom.

Taeil … His wolf howled. Did Taeil make him happy enough to give up on that idea?

A waning gibbous moon shone down on them. Taeil was waiting for him to decide.

Well. Kun huffed. He never would have managed it anyway.

“Thanks, Kunhang.” He hugged the boy quickly. “I figured out what I needed. I hope you tire out soon.”

“Are you going home?”

Kun nodded. “Yeah, I’m going home.”


	18. Chapter 18

The trip back felt longer than the trip out, and yet took no time at all. Kun slid through the door and toed off his shoes. He hung up his coat. The air felt lighter as he went into the living room. Taeil lay slumped slumped to his side, dozing on the couch. Silly alpha. He went over and put a hand on Taeil’s shoulder.

“Taeil, you can’t sleep here.”

Taeil grumbled.

“Come on, you need to sleep in a real bed. We can talk in the morning.” What must he have thought, waiting for Kun to come back? “Come on.”

Taeil cracked an eye, then closed it.

“Taeil, please.” So Taeil was a deep sleeper. He shook Taeil’s shoulder.

“Huh?” Taeil’s eyes opened halfway. “Kun?”

“Hey. You need to go to bed, okay? We can talk in the morning.”

“Huh.”

“Get up.” Kun urged him upright. “Come on, it’s not that far to your room.”

“You came back?” half-asleep, he sounded so surprised, like he hadn’t believed Kun would return.

“Of course I came back. Come on, the bedroom’s right there.” Kun nudged him to the hallway. “It’s not that far.”

Taeil went willingly enough, though he kept mumbling. Kun pushed open the door to Taeil’s room. He hadn’t been in here since that first night. Nothing had changed. He walked Taeil over to the bed with hands on his shoulders. He reached to pull open the bedclothes. Taeil barely seemed awake as he crawled in and collapsed on the pillow. Kun pulled the cover over him.

He didn’t want to leave. He wavered toward the door; he had his own room for a reason, but Taeil looked so alone, sleeping curled into one side of his bed. His wolf pulled at them. Well, alright then.

Kun went to brush his teeth and change. He put out the lights on his way back. He climbed in next to Taeil. When he drifted off, it was to deep and steady breathing. If he dreamed, he didn’t remember it.

***

Kun came awake slowly in the early morning light. Despite his late night, his brain wouldn’t allow him to sleep further. He had work soon. He opened his eyes. Taeil stared back, looking spooked. Kun blinked at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“What are you doing here?” Taeil didn’t sound upset. It was the only thing that kept Kun calm. “Actually, how did we get in here?”

“You were asleep on the couch.” Kun wanted to stretch, so he did. Everything felt loose and light. “It didn’t seem like a good place to leave you, so I got you to walk back in here to sleep. You don’t remember?”

Taeil shook his head.

“Well …” Kun shrugged.

“But.” Taeil waved. “You stayed. In here?”

Kun nodded. “I didn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Taeil stared. “What does that mean?”

Kun sat up. “You didn’t think I was coming back, did you?” The surprise on him, both times. “You thought I was going to leave.”

Taeil's mouth opened and closed. “You didn’t exactly give me any hints before you left.”

“Right.” Kun plucked at the bedsheet. “I’m sorry about that. I just really needed to process everything.”

Taeil shook his head. “Don’t apologize for that. Of course you’d need time to think. I just …” He cocked his head. “You never answered my question.”

He couldn’t hold back a smile. “I suppose I didn’t.” Where to start? Kun gathered himself. “I don’t know if this will make sense without you understanding how deeply important freedom has always been to me.”

He paused, but Taeil just waited. Always waiting for him. “I’ve said before that it was the only thing I ever wanted. That’s true. When I was young, I didn’t understand why things were the way they were. It was different before any of us presented, but only in that we weren’t expected to do the things omegas do, in town. Children were expected to keep their mouths shut and stay out of the way. But I saw what happened to other people, and it always confused me. I would ask my grandmother, and she didn’t really have answers for me, either. All she knew was that it was the way the pack worked.” He snorteed. “I thought it was stupid.”

“It was stupid. It is stupid.” Taeil snapped his mouth shut when Kun looked up.

“It is.” Kun shrugged. “So, I’d tell myself if things ever got bad for me the way I’d seen happen to other people, I’d just run off and live in the woods. I could hunt, I’d be fine.

Then I got older. I presented, and everything I’d ever thought I could want was ripped away from me.” He waved. “Omegas can’t be healers, right? I’d never cared, until my presentation became the thing barring me from what I wanted. I had always thought it was stupid, but that was when I started getting angry. Why should someone else have the life I wanted just because something different happened when they hit puberty?” He picked at the sheets. “And it didn’t help that the alphas in that pack were entitled pricks. They didn’t want me, but that was fine because I didn’t want any of them either. And I just … it all made me so angry because there wasn’t anything I could do. I could fetch and carry for the healers but I couldn’t be one. I could take care of my grandmother, could see Chenle, but I couldn’t take them anywhere. Never mind what happened to all of my friends.”

“And then you came here?” Taeil ventured when Kun didn’t speak again.

He had to smile. “And then I came here. They ripped me away from my family to use me as a chess piece to prevent a war they started. My only real hope was that no one would choose me and I could just fade into obscurity somehow.” He waved between them. “That obviously didn’t happen.”

Taeil nodded slowly. “Did you hate me for it?”

Kun shook his head. “I was in too much shock at first to feel anything. And you—you were strange. You didn’t try to touch me, you talked about the situation, you apologized. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t understand you.”

“I remember.” Taeil almost smiled. “You make you made your confusion very clear.”

“Hush.” Kun waved him off. “I was very confused. And obviously this pack is objectively better. No one discriminates against my presentation here. But it felt like I was being asked to give up the one thing that had always been most important—my freedom—for everything else that had ever mattered. And I couldn’t reconcile it.”

“Is that what you meant before, when you said you resent the position you were put in?”

Kun nodded. “I understood what you meant about the politics and all of it, and you did give me a choice in the matter, but it still felt like my choice had been taken away.”

“That’s because it was.” Taeil’s shoulders hunched. “By me.”

Kun rolled his eyes. “I’m getting there. I did resent you for it, even though I understood.” He hadn’t, for a long time, understood why on earth Taeil would have done it when he was so against the idea of the trade. But as his wolf keened to be closer, Kun thought he might have an idea. “And that’s what it came down to, really. I liked almost everything about the life I was developing, but even if it was the life I would or could choose, I couldn’t get past the fact that I didn’t get a choice.” He swallowed. “And then yesterday happened. I don’t know how to explain what’s been going on except that I’ve been growing more and more used to my place here and so when Shiwoo started talking, all I could think was here was another alpha trying to take away what I wanted again. I knew what it meant, the same as you did. But, honestly, it didn’t really register to me that I didn’t want the out until I had already talked him out of it.” He shrugged. “So after, when we talked, I still didn’t know what to say. I needed to process everything.”

“That’s fair.” Taeil seemed to be holding himself very carefully, just inches from Kun. “So you went for a walk.”

“A long walk. I ended up in the little park. Kunhang was also up, so we walked together for a bit.” Kun played with the sheet again. Now or never. “We talked a bit. I asked him about how he and Yangyang met, and he told me a story. It clarified things.”

“How so?”

“Kunhang said that Yangyang made him happier than being alone. And what I’ve been struggling with was never really about you. It was about having my choice. And you—you gave me that back.”

“What?”

“In the council meeting, you argued for my right to choose, even if it would mean making things harder on yourself. When I asked you, you said you could stand by whatever choice I made, even after what I said to the council. Even if it made things harder on you.” He gave a little shrug. “So, I came home. But you were asleep on the couch and that’s not a good place to sleep. I brought you back here and I didn’t want to leave.” He bit his lip. “That was much more than an answer to your question, but does that answer your question?’

“A little bit.” Taeil leaned closer. “Does that mean you want to stay with me?”

Kun nodded. “It means—you don’t know me, not really. You know pieces I’ve let slip, things you’ve noticed or intuited. It means I want to let you know me, to show you who I am and learn who you are.”

Taeil started to grin. “You mean you want me to court you? For real?”

Kun pretended to sniff. “You can try. Somehow I wonder if you can.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You didn’t even know those girls were interested in you, you can’t be trusted.”

Taeil growled, but it was playful. “I’ll show you courting.”

Kun raised his eyebrows. “Oh? How are you planning to do that, then?”

Taeil got even closer. “How do you think?” 

Kun kissed him. He’d never kissed anyone before, but it was so sweet as Taeil’s mouth brushed over his. He melted into it for as long as he could, until it was time to go to work. 

***

The next time Kun received flowers, it was from Taeil’s hands. He turned up just inside the healing house right before Kun usually took his lunch break. Kun tried to control the fluttering that caused as he hurried over. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to have lunch with you.” Taeil waved the bag in his other hand. “And I thought you might like these.”

Kun fought off the blush, but he couldn’t fight his smile as he took the flowers. “Thank you.” They weren’t all of his favorites, but Taeil had gotten the foxglove right. “Did you choose them yourself?”

He nodded. “I told Mark before that I wanted to get you to tell me your favorite flowers, and I do, but I thought this time I’d show you what I like and then you could tell me what you like.”

Kun's ears warmed. “I like these.” He took the bouquet and plucked out a sprig of foxglove. He gave it back to Taeil. “And a few others, but I can tell you that while we eat?”

Taeil nodded. After Kun had gotten his lunch, Taeil led him out by the hand. They settled under the tree behind the healing house.

“So?” Taeil got out their food. “What flowers do you like?”

Kun tapped the petals of an iris. “Aside from the foxglove? There are a couple of others I like—tulips, peonies. Any other small questions for me?”

“Hmm.” Taeil played with the foxglove. “I could ask for your favorite food, but I think I already know it. Do you know mine?”

“Favorite flowers?” Kun waved the bouquet. “Food? It’s a toss up between tomato soup and tonkatsu, which I find odd, but they’re your taste buds.”

Taeil grinned. “You paid attention.”

Kun picked up his meal. “I have another question—something I’ve been curious about for a while, actually.”

“What’s that?”

“You said before that you beat out anyone else who would have been going for your job about a year ago.” Kun leaned back on his elbows. “How exactly did you do that?”

He groaned. “That’s not an interesting story. And it makes me look like I’m bragging.”

Kun brushed a bit of Taeil’s hair behind his ear. “Tell me anyway.”

He had to work a little more to get the story out of Taeil, but it was worth it. Kun played with his flowers. Taeil always came to him. Next time, it would be his turn.

***

Kun packed two lunches and told Jihyo that he would be unavailable for most of the afternoon unless an emergency came up. She didn’t seem to mind, thought she also wore a knowing smile he didn’t quite like. It wasn’t anyone’s business where he spent his afternoon, whether they saw him or not. He slipped out of the—for once, nearly empty—healing house and made his way to the council house. The warm wood building no longer bothered him, as he headed inside. Taeil sat reading something on the couch by the front door. He actually looked surprised to see Kun in the doorway.

“Hello.” Taeil got up to meet him.

“Hi.” Kun held up their lunches. “You said there was a meeting this afternoon, so I thought I’d bring lunch by and stay to help.”

“You don’t have to.” Taeil took one of the bags and his hand to lead him back to the couch. Kun laced their fingers together.

“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Can’t I be curious?”

“Of course you can.” Taeil smiled at him before digging into his food. Kun peeked at Taeil’s reading as they ate.

“Is this for the meeting later?” 

“Yeah, we’re looking at the border again.”

Kun picked up the sheets. “The border with Veteris?”

“The whole border, but we do want to look at it.” Taeil leaned in to whisper, “We’re a little worried about that portion, yes, but the full border needs attention.”

“I see. So it’s going to go completely over my head?”

Taeil shrugged. “Maybe. Still want to stick around?”

“Of course.”

The meeting wasn’t something he had needed to hear, it was true. But it wasn’t terrible, to be able to listen to how his pack was run, to know he could speak and people would listen. Kun let his head rest on Taeil’s shoulder as it continued. This wasn’t so bad a place to be.

***

Kun hadn’t slept in the guest room since the night he slept in Taeil’s bed. His clothes were still in the drawers, so Kun took his night things and changed before tucking himself into bed.

“I thought of a new question,” he told Taeil as soon as the other appeared.

“What’s that, then?” Taeil smiled as he climbed into bed. Kun laid down and snuggled close.

“You told me how your great-grandparents met, and your grandparents,” though that story had admittedly not been nearly as grand. “What about your parents?”

Taeil hummed. He still hadn’t asked about Kun’s family, beyond what Kun had shared. Maybe he could sense it was sensitive. “Technically, they met as babies. My dad’s family has lived here forever, and you know my mom is descended from my great-grandparents and so on.”

“Yes, but you know that’s not what I’m asking.” Kun pinched him.

Taeil laughed. “No. I think it was around the time my mother put herself forward for consideration as pack leader. He had also put himself in the running.”

“Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes. My father is really competitive, but overall he’s a good-natured person.”

“I mean,” Kun yawned. “He certainly seems nice.”

“He is. So they had some good-natured competition at first, and I’m told the attraction was obvious then, but they didn’t really do anything about it until my mother kicked his ass.”

“You mean she won the position?”

Taeil shook his head. “No, I mean she literally kicked his ass. One of the things that those of us in the running for the position have to do is prove we’re capable in all areas a pack leader undertakes, including fighting. So, when there are multiple candidates, they make us fight each other at least once. And my mom kicked my dad’s ass.”

Kun snorted. “I imagine he didn’t take that well.”

Taeil shrugged. “He didn’t take it as badly as you might think. He didn’t like being beaten, but from the way he tells it, my mom looked pretty good doing it so that softened the blow to his competitive spirit. After, he withdrew from consideration and told her that he didn’t want her to think that he was doing anything to influence her chances before he asked to court her.”

Kun hummed. “He wasn’t worried that she would think he only wanted her for the position?”

Taeil coughed. “Oh, she did think that, for about ten seconds. He reminded her that if that was all he wanted, he could have just stayed and tried to beat her, or approached her first instead of competing. I think the kiss afterward convinced her of the mutual attraction pretty well. Or so I’m told.”

Kun coughed, too. “I see. So they started courting?”

“Yeah. She made him wait until after she became the pack leader before they actually mated, but obviously things went well and then I came along and now here we are.”

“That’s a nice story.” Kun set his head on Taeil’s chest. His breath sounded slow and steady under Kun’s ear.

“Can I ask you something?” Taeil said after a while.

Kun hummed.

“You don’t really talk about your family. You’ve mentioned your grandmother and your cousin a few times, but never your parents or aunts and uncles. I don’t want to push you if it’s a hard story, but I am curious.”

Kun took a deep breath. It came out steadier than he expected. “It’s not a good story.”

“Okay?”

He closed his eyes. “I’ll tell you the next time you ask, but I don’t think I’m ready to right now.”

“Thank you for telling me.” Taeil wrapped his arms tighter around Kun. “Let’s sleep now?”

He dreamed of his grandmother, but the memory was good.


	19. Chapter 19

The time to talk about his family came after one dinner in particular. Mark and Jaehyun were squabbling playfully while Ten tried to escape. He finally ran around the table to hide behind Kun.

“Are we really back to this?” Kun kept eating. “Really?”

“I don’t want to get nicked, okay? You’re the one who deals with blood, not me.”

“No one’s going to get scratched.” Besides Mark and Jaehyun. Taeyong covered his mouth to hide a smile.

“How do you know? The last time they got like this someone’s nose got bloodied.”

Oh, Kun remembered that. He didn't have to hide his smile. “We were all kids then. You know better now, don’t you?”

Jaehyun waved at him before going back to poking Mark.

Ten leaned on Kun’s shoulders, chin on his head. “That’s true, isn’t it? All of those little adventures stopped when we grew up. We never really played like that after the plague.”

Kun’s stomach dropped. Surely Ten didn’t mean anything by it, but the reminder stung. Taeyong didn’t seem surprised, nor did Jungwoo, but Johnny, Doyoung, and, in his periphery, Taeil, all looked like they’d never heard of it.

Kun hummed. “We all had to grow up sometime, I suppose.”

Ten shrugged against him. “I guess, but what do you call that?” he pointed at the still-tussling boys.

Kun cocked his head. Ten moved his along with Kun’s until they were both twisted almost sideways. “Delayed adolescence?”

“Hey!” Mark finally stopped wriggling around. “I’m not an adolescent.”

“You’re sure acting like one.” Ten finally let go of him to tease Mark. Kun let the conversation move on, though Taeil remained tense beside him. He managed to hold off the questions until they were home and in bed.

“Plague?” Taeil finally asked.

Kun nodded against him. “Did you never hear about it?”

“No. We didn’t know there had been one.”

“Honestly, it’s the only reason the overpopulation didn’t become an issue before. I think the hierarchy there is set up so no one ever thinks to leave, so the pack has just been growing and growing.” He took a slow breath. “The plague came when I was about ten? People started getting sick out of nowhere and even the healers didn’t know what to do. I think my grandmother had a clue, but she was ill, too.” He shuddered. “It wiped out most of a generation, not to mention plenty of others.”

Taeil stroked down Kun’s arm. “Is that when your grandmother died? You never talk about her in the present tense.”

It sent another shiver through him. “No, she survived that. It’s the others you say I never talk about, who died.” He had done his crying over them ages ago, it still made his eyes burn. “My parents, Chenle’s parents.” His grandfather had gone the year before in a hunting accident. “Jaehyun’s father, Mark’s parents. We lost a lot of people. Most of us who were left, the orphans, were either taken in by other families, or declared outcast.” He snorted. “That was probably where it all started, because I didn’t present for another several years.” Jaehyun’s mother had barely wanted to be in the room with him after her mate died; it always looked like grief to Kun, but Jaehyun never wanted to talk about it.

“What about Ten’s parents? Or is it private? I remember you saying that none of you really had families.”

Kun laughed. “No, Ten’s parents are alive as far as we know.”

“As far as you know?”

“They left, when people started getting sick.” He paused. “It isn’t private, but he doesn’t really like talking about it. He didn't want to leave. He was scared of getting sick, but he couldn't imagine leaving the rest of us. So they left him.”

Taeil sounded like his breath had been knocked out. “That’s terrible.”

Kun shrugged. “That’s what life was. They didn’t want to die. They could always have more children, right? We’re so easily replaceable.”

Taeil pulled him closer. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged again. “My parents weren’t the best. Chenle’s were good. They went quickly, which was good because Chenle refused to leave them and I didn’t want to scare him by taking him away but we didn’t want him to have to see it, either.” He swallowed. “He was young enough that he doesn’t remember now, but I talked him into coming out with me and my friends for the day, and it happened that was the day they died, so he didn’t have to see it.”

Taeil was doing a remarkable job of keeping calm as Kun talked. “That’s something, at least.”

“Yeah.” He smiled into Taeil’s chest. “I stayed with my parents until the end. They weren’t … it’s not that they were bad people, or that they didn’t care about me. They just didn’t care about any of the things I cared about, if that makes sense?”

“I think so.” Taeil shifted. “They didn’t want you to be a healer?”

“Somewhat. My mother was my grandmother’s daughter. She didn’t care about healing, so she just found a mate in my father and became a housewife. My father—he really didn’t want to be associated with healing, with the family, with anything except my mother. He tried to keep us from seeing my grandmother, but she would never stand for it. I said before, my family has been mostly betas and my parents were, too, so there wasn’t much my father could do when she dug her heels in.” He traced a circle over Taeil’s breastbone. How long had it been since he’d even thought about his parents? “I don’t know what would have happened. I just know it felt wrong to leave them. So I tried to help as much as I could, whenever the healers were there. But they still died.”

“You …” Taeil paused. “You know that isn’t your fault, right?”

Kun smiled into his chest. “I know. It was a long time ago. There was nothing anyone could have done. It was just sad, is all.”

He let that sink in. They lay quiet for a while.

“When you talk about your family, you mean your grandmother and your cousin? Chenle?”

He nodded. “It was just the three of us for a long time. Adults who are not parents live in dorms by presentation, and there’s also an orphan dorm. Chenle lived in the orphan dorm after the plague ended, but my grandmother was weakened enough from the illness that I was allowed to live separately with her. She’d just never left where she and my grandfather had lived.” He smiled. “Chenle would sneak out to be with us as much as he could.” That, at least, was a good memory. “My grandmother got better, then better, then worse.”

“She still had the plague?”

“No, she recovered from that. We’re not sure what she fell ill with—the healers in my old pack aren’t as good as the healers here, generally. I think she either fell ill from the plague again, or she caught the wasting illness. Either way, she just quietly got sicker and sicker.” He cuddled closer to Taeil as the memories poured in, in a way he hadn’t let them since it happened. “I couldn’t do anything. She seemed to know it was her time. She couldn’t shift anymore, could barely walk. She never got out of bed, spent her days teaching me things the healers didn’t know or wouldn’t teach me.”

He took a shaking breath. “Then one night I came home and she wouldn’t stop talking about what I should do when she was gone. I didn’t think much of it because she had brought it up before. So I went to sleep.” He had never actually said the words out loud before. “When I woke up in the morning, she was …” he bit his lip so hard it almost bled. “She wasn’t breathing. There wasn’t anything to be done. She was dead.”

Dead was the word that broke him. He hadn’t even noticed tears were running down his face before that. Taeil cooed and brought Kun closer. He didn’t say anything, just stroked up and down Kun’s back. He didn’t know how long it took for him to calm down, just that eventually the weight on his chest felt lighter and Taeil’s hands were lulling him toward sleep.

“Thank you,” he whispered into Taeil’s neck.

“This isn’t something you need to thank me for,” Taeil whispered back. “My grandparents died under very different circumstances, but it made me sad. I’m glad I could help, even a little bit. Thank you for trusting me with this.”

Kun nosed over Taeil’s neck and chin. “Thank you for waiting until I was ready to talk.”

“Of course.” Taeil helped him nudge a little higher until they could kiss. “I only want to hear things you want to tell me.”

Kun held that close to himself as they cuddled together, as Taeil fell asleep, as he listened to Taeil’s breath to lull him into sleep.

***

He should have been expecting the mild fever that woke him, days later. His last heat had hit weeks before they were taken from Veteris. Still, Kun groaned and burrowed deeper into his pillow.

His pillow being Taeil, that only resulted in laughter. “Are you okay?”

“I’m in pre-heat,” he grumbled. “I forgot it would be coming soon.”

Taeil sniffed at him, then tensed. “I can smell it on you, yes.”

Kun whined. Taeil was so warm. All he and his wolf wanted was to get closer. He sat up instead. “We probably should have talked about this before.”

Taeil sat up, too. He moved to the edge of the bed to give Kun space. “Probably. How do you usually deal with your heats?”

Kun shrugged. “Suffer.”

Taeil frowned. “I don’t like that answer.”

“Well, it’s not like there was anyone I wanted anywhere near me before.” Kun picked at the blanket. Taeil’s presence already was making this one better. “So I just locked myself away and dealt with it. They only come twice a year, it's not like I was torturing myself.”

“This time is different, though,” Taeil said slowly, as though he was testing something. “So what do you want me to do?”

What did he want? Kun bit his lip. “I think … I don’t think I’m ready for this.” He waved between them. “When we do this for the first time, I want it to be because it’s what we want to do, not because my biology is demanding I get relief.”

Nerves jangled through him, but Taeil only nodded. “Do you want me to leave? Or can I stay to help you in other ways?”

Kun stared at him. “You would want to do that?” His wolf keened at the thought, louder than any of Kun’s apprehensions, but, “won’t it be painful for you?”

Taeil reached out, but thought better of it. It was probably a good idea; Kun’s temperature felt like it was rising by the moment. “You’ll be in pain, and I can help, right?”

He bit his lip. “Yes. You already are. I’m usually already in pain by this point. I just feel hot right now.”

Taeil nodded decisively. “Then I want to stay with you. I don’t care how difficult it would be for me.” He paused. “Unless you’d rather be alone, which is fine.”

He shook his head, and had to stop himself from reaching for Taeil, too. It wasn’t a good idea. “If you’re sure, I would be glad to have you here.”

“Good.” Taeil got off the bed. “So, what do we do?”

“Hmm?”

Taeil waved vaguely. “I’m an only child, and both of my parents are alphas. I only have a distant understanding of what’s going to happen. What do you usually do to prepare.”

“Oh.” Kun reached for the blankets at the end of the bed. Taeil’s scent all over them, as much as it dug under his skin, settled his wolf. “I’m a nester, but if you don’t mind, a store of food and water would be really useful so we don’t have to go anywhere.”

Taeil backed toward the door. “How much should I get?”

Kun bit his lip. “On my own? Close to a week. I don’t know how you being here will change things.” So far, it seemed to be delaying and dulling his senses. His wolf purred even as his skin heated. “There’s plenty of food in the house, though, you could just get a couple of days’ worth and go for more if we really need it.”

“Okay.” He edged back a little more. “And you’re sure you’ll be okay in here?”

Kun rolled his eyes. “I’ll be fine. Go.”

He wasn’t exactly fine alone. As soon as Taeil left, his gut twisted, everything in him yearning at the door. But he still had enough sense to build his nest and settle in it. He threw a few pieces of Taeil’s clothing in, the pillows from the couch, and covered himself in all the blankets. It was too warm, and yet not warm enough when he climbed in. Where was Taeil?

He didn’t take long to return, but Kun had begun to lose all sense of time. Taeil set the food and water on the bedside table and crouched beside the bed. Kun whined.

“How are you feeling?”

He just shrugged. “It’s starting.” It had been starting for a while, but the pain was really starting to hit.

“Is it okay if I touch you?”

“I don’t know.” He’d never wanted to be touched so badly before, but he didn’t know what the consequences would be. “It might help, but I don’t know what else it would do. It might be better not to.”

“Okay.” Taeil reached for the water. “You might want to take some of this first.”

Kun nodded. He let Taeil give him the water, then feed him. He hitched the blanket higher over himself as Taeil retreated to a chair. The pain came in waves. At the ebb, Kun knew exactly what was going on, where Taeil was, why. At the heights, things became fuzzier. He couldn't remember where Taeil was when he left the room, couldn't quite remember why Taeil couldn’t touch him, only that he couldn’t. Taeil stayed just out of reach, even when his eyes flickered red and his muscles locked up.

So they passed his heat.


	20. Chapter 20

Kun woke when his fever broke. Just like when his heat started, he lay in bed in early morning light. Unlike then, Taeil lay at the very edge of the bed, outside his nest.

With the fever gone, his body lay loose and relaxed, his mind clear. He knew what he wanted. His wolf agreed. He righted the bedsheets as much as possible before crawling toward Taeil. He’d never sat on an alpha before, but it felt pretty nice. He settled over Taeil’s lap and waited.

Taeil didn’t take long to wake. Kun cocked his head. Was that the general lack of sleep he had to have gotten, or was it Kun’s weight on him?

“Kun? What?” Taeil felt around. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He wriggled a little until he found a better seat. “My heat broke.”

“Are you sure about that?” Taeil sounded a little desperate. “Why are you on me?”

“Because.” He grinned. “My heat broke. Which means I get to do whatever I want now.”

“And what you want,” Taeil said very slowly, “is to sit on me?”

Kun tilted his head to one side. “Taeil, dear, I know I’ve called you oblivious jokingly but you can’t really be that dense. Can you?”

“I—” Taeil actually pouted at that. “I just want to know what’s going on?”

Kun leaned forward to kiss him. “What do you think? Do you want me to say it explicitly?”

“That would be nice, yes, because before your heat started I could swear I heard you telling me you weren’t ready for this.” Taeil pulled back to wave between them. 

Was that what he thought? Kun sat back. “I never said that. I said I wasn’t ready for you to fully help me with my heat. I want my first time having sex to be when I wasn’t being driven out of my mind by stupid biology.” He shrugged. “And I’m not, now.”

Taeil frowned up at him. “This still seems very sudden.”

“Taeil.” He took Taeil’s face in his hands. “Listen to me. I’m not in heat, or anything related to it. I didn’t ask you to touch me once during the time I was. I’m sitting in your lap, telling you that I want to do this. Will you believe the words I’m saying?”

Taeil nodded. “But will you tell me why?”

He sighed. Sweet, stubborn alpha. “Because. I didn’t want biology to take this choice away from me, and it hasn’t.” He stroked Taeil’s cheeks with his thumbs. “I get to choose, and I’m choosing you.”

“Are you sure?” His eyes flickered red. 

Kun rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m sure.” He tipped his hips down. “Or do you need more convincing?”

A smile started to grow on Taeil’s face. “No, I think I’m pretty convinced.” He rolled them over. “Do you want me to prove it?”

“Go right ahead.” He buried his hands in Taeil’s hair as the other started to move. 

***

It was still the weekend, so Kun didn’t expect the loud knock on their front door. Taeil didn’t seem to be, either, given the way he jumped, but he went to answer the door. Kun followed.

Donghyuck stood outside, breathing heavily. “The council wants to see you.”

Taeil leaned on the door. “Did they say why?”

He shook his head. “Just that it’s about Veteris. They want both of you.”

Kun peeked over Taeil’s shoulder. “Just the two of us?”

“No, there are runners going for Taeyong and Ten, Doyoung, Johnny, and Jaeyhun, and Jungwoo and Mark. They mentioned each of them by name.”

Kun gripped Taeil’s shirt. Ten was curious, but Mark and Jaehyun had never shown any interest in the council. What had happened?

“Could we go quickly?” Donghyuck requested. “It really sounds urgent.”

They looked at each other. The churning in Kun’s gut wasn’t reflected on Taeil’s face, but the muscles under Kun’s hands felt tense. “Yes, of course.” They gathered their things and followed Donghyuck to the council house. The full council milled around in the main room, plus most of Kun’s subpack who served there.

“What’s going on?” Mark latched onto Kun as soon as they saw each other.

“I don’t know. Donghyuck just said that they wanted us here.”

Ten and Taeyong were the last to arrive. As if by magic, Sunmi called them into the council room. Extra seats had been dragged in for the others. Kun took his usual spot, as did most everyone else except Taeyong, Doyoung, Johnny, and Jungwoo, who spread out for Ten, Mark, and Jaehyun.

Sunmi waited until everyone had sat before taking her spot beside Minho. “I’m sure you’re all wondering what this is about.”

“Yes.”

She toyed with a creased sheet of paper on the table in front of her. “Veteris has contacted us.”

Kun’s insides froze. He had had a feeling but that didn’t mean it felt good to hear the confirmation. “About what?”

She shrugged elegantly. “One of the things we agreed to when trying to stop hostilities with Veteris were twice-annual meetings to reconfirm our commitment.” She glanced at Kun, then Ten, then Mark and Jaehyun who sat together. “Ostensibly, they want to check on you four, and the girls you came here with, to make sure that we’re treating you well.”

Ten snorted. Had Kun been able to move, he probably would have as well. “Please. They could care less about our welfare.”

Shiwoo cocked his head. “Why do you say that?”

Ten waved. “You were there when we arrived, weren’t you? We weren’t exactly brought here because we so wanted to change packs. We were brought here as trading tools, and this is their way of cashing in.”

“I’m sure you’ll encourage them in both our best interests,” Kun murmured. “They never even thought we would refuse.”

“What’s that?”

“They told us we were being brought here,” he waved around, “to be chosen as mates for the council, and encouraged all of us to “encourage them in both our best interests.”” He still saw Haejin’s smile with the words. “It wasn’t said in so many words, but I’m sure they wanted us to influence you toward their interests.”

“And would you?” Shiwoo challenged.

“Have you seen us to?”

“Well, no.”

Kun waved a hand. 

Minho leaned forward on his arms. “So you don’t think this meeting is out of genuine concern?”

“Absolutely not,” all four of them said together. “At best, they want intelligence about the pack. At worst, they’re maneuvering for what they couldn’t get from the treaty you all made.” Taeil put his hand on Kun’s knee. “I’d be very wary of anything coming out of this meeting.”

“Oh, you will be.” Sunmi tossed the paper further down the table. “I think this will make a very good test, don’t you, Taeil?”

What kind of test was she talking about? Taeil raised his eyebrows. “You want me to take point for the conference?”

Sunmi shook her head. Minho grinned. “I want you to lead a group for this conference. Consider it the last test of your leadership. Take a delegation, meet with them, discover what their purpose is.”

“Ah.” Taeil’s brow cleared. “Yes, I can do that.” He glanced at Kun. Kun just shrugged. “Are you suggesting we should take all of the omegas who were brought over back with us?”

“Only if they all want to go.” Minho sat back. “You don’t like it back there very much, do you?” He looked at Kun. 

Kun shook his head. “None of us wanted to be there. If you’re asking about me, I’ll make the trip if I’m needed.” Not only needed, if he were honest. The trip back might be his only chance to see Chenle. The thought made his chest ache.

Minho shook his head. “We’re thinking of the girls. They didn’t have any business being in this meeting, but we’re not interested in forcing them to make a journey that wouldn’t be beneficial to them. Ask, and if they don’t want to go, they don’t have to.”

“Well.” Ten glanced at him, then Mark and Jaehyun. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re willing to help you figure out what they’re up to.”

That was true enough. 

“Good.” Sunmi passed Taeil the paper. “We have some other things that could be discussed, as well as travel arrangements, but Taeil can take the lead on those. Ask the girls if they want to join you.”

Kun wasn’t interested in most of the finer details; travel and guards had never been his strong suit. He let the others plan while he tried to imagine returning.


	21. Chapter 21

Kun wasn’t even that surprised to see only Soyeon standing with the guards and baggage at the edge of town the day they left. He sat next to her. “The others didn’t want to come?”

She shook her head. “Rose didn’t even want to hear it. The other two took the news well enough, but they have no interest in going back. They’re settled here.”

“And you?”

She shrugged. “I was there too, that night. I don’t trust Haejin as far as I can throw him.” She glanced at her hands. “Which isn’t very far, but that’s kind of the point. So I’m definitely willing to help wherever I can.” Soyeon smirked. “Besides, if we need information, I’m sure there’s more than one alpha there who’s missed me.”

Kun couldn't help laughing. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” He got up to help Taeil when he arrived. “So, how do you want this to go?”

Taeil shrugged, setting their bags down. “We’re hoping the meeting itself will be relatively short, but I doubt it will be.”

“They’ll probably drag it out as long as possible.” Kun fussed with the line of Taeil’s shirt. “If we’re lucky, they’ll dismiss me, Ten, Mark, Jaehyun, and Soyeon pretty quickly and we can sneak around a bit.”

Taeil took his hand. “Do you think you’ll be able to find Chenle?”

Kun shrugged. “Like I said, if I’m lucky.” He let out a breath. “If he knows we’re coming, he’ll try to find me.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Kun opened his mouth, but Jisung walked by, tightening his backpack straps. “You’re taking Jisung?”

Taeil hummed. “I wasn’t the fondest of the idea, but he’s in training and it would be a good experience for him.”

Kun watched the little alpha as they all got ready to leave. He seemed well enough, if quite nervous to leave the town boundaries. He wondered if he would have felt that way under different circumstances. Kun kept close to Taeil as they traveled. Every step felt like a march into darkness, Taeil’s hand the only beacon of light. For all that, it didn’t seem to take nearly as much time to return to Veteris as it had to go there. They didn’t have to stop to rest in the middle of the night, for one thing.

Veteris looked exactly the same, if not dimmer. Kun clutched Taeil’s hand tighter. Had it always looked this small? Byunghun met them at the edge of town, just as Sicheng had months ago. He didn’t say much as he led them into the village. That was new. They barely saw anyone on their way in. Kun spotted Yoona at the door to the healing house. She turned from them and disappeared inside. Kun pressed closer to Taeil.

Byunghun paused in front of a barely used house. “This will be your house for the duration of your stay. You arrived earlier than expected, so the council isn’t ready to meet yet. Wait here. Someone will come to get you when we’re ready.”

Kun bit his tongue to get away from Byunghun. Chenle was most important. He sighed as soon as their group was alone. “How long do you think before it’s safe to sneak out?”

“You realize Chenle probably doesn’t have any idea that we’re here, right?” Ten still peeked out the window. “They didn’t leave us any guards, which isn’t as stupid as it sounds given that the whole town is basically on watch for us.” He shrugged. “I’d say give it a few minutes just so it doesn’t look insanely suspicious.”

Kun fidgeted. Taeil took his hand again. “Where do you think he’ll be?” he asked quietly. 

Kun shrugged. “Probably still in the orphan dorm, unless more has changed than we were expecting.” His heart hurt thinking about what the last few months must have been like for Chenle. “He could still be sneaking around to my grandmother’s house.”

“What are you going to do once you find him?”

“Well.” He wanted to just grab Chenle and run, but that probably wouldn’t go over well. “I’m not sure yet.”

Taeil stroked the back of Kun's hand with his thumb. “I’m going to bring it up during the meeting.” He cocked his head. “You said he’s the only family the four of you really claim. So it shouldn’t be that hard to bring up the topic of families and get them to admit to something.”

“Sneaky.” Kun peeked out the window. “I’m going to check my grandmother’s house first. Do you want to come with me?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Ten pushed past him to open the doors, Mark and Jaehyun close behind. Kun waved before they left. They slipped out the door as quietly as possible. The street was empty. They had been placed in the center of town; had Haejin confined everyone to their residences? Ten, Mark, and Jaehyun offered to go to the dorms to look around, so Kun split off toward his grandmother’s house.

It still stood, as empty as it had been the day he left. At least the smell of death no longer haunted the place. Kun pushed open the door. Someone had emptied the place after he left; the cabinets, attached to the wall, remained, but all of the furniture and other personal effects that Kun had left behind were gone. It left a smaller ache than he expected. Biyu hadn’t wanted him here.

Everything was dusty. Kun poked through the place, looking for any sign that Chenle had been there, but anything he might have done must have been swept away with the rest of their old things. He let himself sag for a moment before making his way back to the rest of town. He couldn’t afford to linger. Maybe the others had found something.

He was the last to return. Ten, Mark, and Jaehyun clustered together while everyone else looked supremely confused. “What’s going on?”

“What did you find?” Ten asked.

Kun closed the door behind him. “The house is empty. It looks like they cleared it out months ago. Did you find something?”

“About that.” They glanced at each other. Mark came forward to take Kun’s hand. He seemed the most serious of the three. “There’s something you should know.”

***

Kun kept a tight hold on himself as they walked into the council house. He had thought he was past this, but any threat to Chenle made everything boil. At least the building had lost its intimidation factor. The council sat exactly where they had months ago, looking much less pleased. Good.

“Welcome.” Haejin stood at the head of the table. “I trust the wait wasn't too long?” 

“No,” Taeil answered for them as they spread out. “We understand the circumstances.”

Kun kept tight to Taeil's side so he wouldn't charge any of them. That wouldn't help Chenle. Taeil hadn't known how Chenle's presentation would change things. No one even sat in the corners of the room; where was he? Kun knew. Orphans were fair game, but adults … Kun wouldn't have a say. 

He couldn't focus on the proceedings as Haejin and Byunghun kept talking. The doors along the walls could lead anywhere. If Chenle hadn't been around town, they had to be keeping him somewhere to use. He strained, but couldn't catch a scent. The doors looked thick enough to block most scents.

“Now,” Haejin was saying when Kun tuned back in. “As to the matter of our trade.”

Taeil raised an eyebrow. “You mean the trade you suggested to 'solve' a population problem?”

Haejin smiled. There was something devious about it. “Yes, that one. I see only five of our wolves returned with you. Is there a reason for that?”

Soyeon shrugged. “My friends just don't like you that much?”

Kun bit the inside of his cheek. Haejin had to hold Byunghun back. 

“They sent me to tell you that.” Soyeon smirked. “That they're fine and they don't ever want to come back here.”

The council turned to stone. Even Byunghun didn’t seem to know how to respond. Finally, Haejin nodded. “I'm glad to hear that they're well. In light of that, I think it might do us good to revisit the terms of the agreement.”

“How so?” Taeil didn't move. 

“We had a lot of trouble agreeing on our border.” Haejin toyed with a pen. “Given that our little experiment has gone well, I thought it might be to our benefit to revisit the issue.” 

Experiment. Like his life was just a variable to play with.

Taeil shook his head. “I don't see how our border has anything to do with the health of my pack members.”

“Well, perhaps not directly.” Haejin waved grandly. “But I think you'll see a connection if you listen to what I have to say.” 

Kun felt like a spring wound too tight. The side door opened. A guard alpha entered, leading Chenle by the elbow. Kun caught a whiff of Chenle's newly omega scent. Its surely sweet undertone was overpowered by fear. He froze when he saw Kun. 

“Kun!” He bolted, but the guard caught him by the back of his neck and pulled him back. Kun pushed forward. Taeil wrapped a hand around him arm. “Hold on,” he whispered. 

His wolf wouldn't stop growling, but Kun waited. 

“What exactly is this supposed to accomplish?”

Haejin spread his hands. “Accomplish? I'm simply making sure all the facts are out there.”

Kun did his best not to vocalize any of his growls. Chenle stood quiet next to three guards, gaze tight on Kun. Kun tried to smile at him. 

“All the facts? Let's speak plainly. You mean blackmail.”

Haejin didn't need to speak. His face did all the work for him.

“Um.” Jisung's voice crack broke the silence. They all turned. He stood closest to Chenle. Red kept flickering over his eyes. “Um. Sorry to interrupt, but—what is this?” He pointed at himself and then Chenle. 

Chenle glanced at him and inhaled quickly. His eyes flickered gold. “Who are you?”

“Jisung.” He took deep breaths. “You smell really nice.”

Kun almost choked.

Chenle actually smiled at that. “Thank you.”

Taeil chuckled. “Well, I guess that puts all the facts out there, doesn't it?”

Haejin's eyes were red. “Fuck you.”

“Oh? Surely you wouldn't keep an alpha from his mate, no matter how young.”

Haejin seethed. “Frame it however you like, he's one of my wolves, and it's up to me where he goes.” 

Kun lunged forward. “Is it?” Taeil stepped in front of Kun. “You wanted to look at out agreement? Look at it. You offered to send omegas to our pack as mates—that was your idea, remember—no one set a time limit for that. Omega claims from your pack to ours are allowed by your own words.”

Kun had to bite his tongue as Taeil laid out the case for Chenle's salvation. His wolf preened at their mate's cleverness. 

“No claim has been made,” Haejin bit out. 

Taeil glanced at Jisung. 

“Oh! Yes.” Jisung fidgeted. “I claim you—if that's okay?” He glanced at Chenle. 

Chenle looked at Kun where he still stood behind Taeil. Kun nodded. “Yes, that's okay.”

Taeil waved at them. “Do you have any other objections?”

Haejin didn't have much to say that stuck. He growled, but signaled the guard to release Chenle. 

Chenle darted past Jisung with a quick smile and brush of hands. Kun out from behind Taeil just in time for Chenle to crash into him. Now that he wasn't filling the room with fear, Chenle mostly smelled as he always had, with a sweet undertone like sugar.

“You came back,” Chenle whispered into his shoulder. “I knew you would.”

“Of course.” Kun set his chin on Chenle's head. “I'm never leaving you again.”

Taeil glanced back with a smile. Kun did his best not to cry. The Veteris council wasn't pleased, but Kun didn't care. Taeil and Haejin eventually agreed that the meeting was too disrupted to continue productively. The Veteris council let them leave, though Byunghun tried to block Kun as he and Chenle passed. Kun snapped at him and ushered Chenle out. Jisung hovered nearby as they left town. It would have been cute if Kun wasn't worried about getting them out of there. 

“Lele,” Kun pulled them to a stop in front of the guest house. “Is all your stuff in the omega dorms?”

Chenle nodded. “They had me move there after I presented.”

“Alright.” Kun glanced around. The streets were still deceptively empty. He turned to Taeil. “Do you think they’ll stop us from getting his things?”

“They’d better not.” Taeil surveyed the area. “Where are the dorms?” Kun pointed. “Okay. You all get ready to go,” he waved at the house, “and I’ll come with you in case anyone tries to interfere.”

Even just weeks ago he would have bristled. Kun smiled. “Thanks. You know they won’t let you in the dorm.”

Taeil shrugged. “I can still help outside.”

Chenle glanced between them with wide eyes. “Who are you? Are you from Neo? Are you the reason my cousin went away?”

Taeil glanced at Kun. Kun shrugged. Taeil bent to look Chenle in the face—he didn’t have to go far. “My name is Taeil. I’m one of Neo’s leaders, yes. I didn’t take your cousin anywhere, I promise.” He glanced at Kun quickly. “I only met him after he came to my pack. I care about him very much, so I’m courting him.”

Kun fought off a blush. “Taeil’s the one who brought us back to come get you.” Kun put his hands on Chenle’s shoulders. 

Chenle eyed Taeil. “Alright, but if you hurt Kun I’ll hurt you back.”

Taeil looked like he was holding back a smile. “I promise I won’t.”

“Okay.” Chenle nodded decisively. Kun’s heart squeezed.

“We should go.” Kun ushered them toward the dorms. Taeil stared around as they moved through town.

“Different, isn’t it?” Kun murmured to him. “These houses are for families. The dorms are up ahead.”

They did have to leave Taeil at the gate in case anyone saw them, but Chenle led Kun right to his room without being caught. They had given him Kun’s old place near the gate—that helped. Chenle had kept his version of it simple, with most of his decorative pieces still in the box he must have moved in. Chenle grabbed those first. Kun helped him pack what was most important. Chenle fired off questions in a whisper as they worked.

“Who are all those people? I saw Ten, Mark, and Jaehyunnie too. Are you okay? What’s been going on? That’s Neo, right? Are they nice? Are you really courting that Taeil guy?” He pouted. “I missed you. Why did they make you leave?”

“Slow down.” Kun passed over some folded clothes. “Those are some of the Neo pack, yes. I’ll introduce you to them when we get back. We’re all fine, especially now that we’ve got you.” He almost couldn’t believe it had really worked. “Neo is very nice. I’m working as a healer over there.”

Chenle gasped. “Really? They just let you work with them?”

Kun grabbed some of Chenle’s clothes. “Not only let, they practically begged me to. Ten’s a guard, too. It’s nice. I think you’ll like it there.” He’d never thought he would get to tell Chenle about Taeil. It warmed him all over, despite their rush. “Yes, Taeil and I are courting. I don’t know why they picked me out of everyone.” He had had suspicions for a long time, but he wasn’t going to share those with his baby cousin. Kun ushered Chenle out as soon as they finished. 

Taeil seemed unbothered when they came out again. He reached for one of the bags. “Ready to go?”

“Please.” They hurried back to the guest house. The others were packed and waiting in front of the door. “Ready?”

“So ready.” Ten passed over Kun’s bag. They hurried out of town as quickly as they could without seeming suspicious. As soon as they were safely in the woods, out of sight of the town, Ten practically tackled Chenle. “Lele!”

“Ten!” Chenle wiggled until he had a good grip on Ten. “I missed you.”

Ten passed Chenle to Jaehyun, who fawned over him for several minutes before Mark took over. Jisung hovered behind them all, looking both confused and happy. Poor kid.

“Come on,” Taeil urged them further into the forest as Chenle separated from Mark. “We should move. I don’t think they’ll actually pull anything, but I don’t really trust them not to.”

It was a good point. They moved just as quickly back to Neo as they had in coming out that morning. Kun wrapped an arm around Chenle as they walked. “How are you feeling?”

Chenle peeked up at him. “You said everyone there is nice, right?”

“Well, not every single person.” Ten snorted from behind Kun. “But mostly, yes.”

“Then I’m fine.” He snuggled closer to Kun. “As long as I get to stay with you.”

“Of course.”

Jisung moved closer in Kun’s periphery as they walked. He fluttered at the edge of their space, but couldn’t seem to bring himself to move closer. Eventually, Kun waved him over. “Chenle, you remember Jisung, right?”

Chenle looked over. “Yes! You’re my soulmate, right?”

Jisung blushed. “I mean, I don’t know anything about that.”

Chenle cocked his head. “But that’s why you could claim me, right?” He glanced back at Kun. “Right?”

Kun shrugged. “I think that’s something you have to talk out for yourselves.” Over both of the kids’ heads, Taeil was holding back a smile again. Cute. “It’ll be good for you.”

Jisung fidgeted. “I mean. That’s true. But we’re really young, and we barely know each other. I don’t think it’s fair to say you belong to me just because you smell really nice.” He blushed. “Though you do.”

Chenle grinned. “Thanks. You’re cute.” He held out a hand. “Friends, then?”

Jisung shook his hand. “Friends first.”

They kept talking as the group moved toward home. Chenle even detached from Kun to walk closer to Jisung. Taeil moved around them to wrap an arm around Kun.

“That went better than I expected.”

“It did, didn’t it?” He hugged Taeil around his waist. “I’m sorry about the meeting, though.”

Taeil shrugged. “Like I said, it went better than it could have. At least we prevented him from blackmailing us.”

“That’s something, at least.” Kun bit his lip. “I don’t think the new meeting is going to go as well.”

“We’ll handle it.” Taeil pulled him closer.

The trip back was quiet. Kun practically had to pull Chenle away from Jisung when they arrived back in town to show him around. It was funny how things changed.


	22. Chapter 22

Chenle took to Neo pack like a duck to water. He refused to be separated from Kun for the first few days, but by the time he had met all of Kun’s friends and coworkers he was much more willing to let Jaehyun take him to school where he could spend time with Jisung and Kun could get back to work. “Work” apparently meant council meetings over healing. He couldn’t say which he would rather have been doing with Haejin and Byunghun hovering over their shoulders. Kun fidgeted in his seat. He, Ten, and Mark sat in the council meeting room. Mark was reading something. Ten had only lasted a minute in the seat that should be his before moving to the seat next to Kun.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Ten poked his side. “You seem distracted.”

Kun shrugged. “Chenle’s back at school. I’m glad, but this isn’t exactly where I want to be for that.”

“You can’t shepherd him around his day at school, you know.”

“I know.” Where was everyone else? Taeil had already said he would be late, and Jaehyun’s kids had apparently started crying for him even before they’d returned from Veteris. “Where is everyone?”

“Being slow,” Sunmi said from behind them. He turned. She stood leaning in the doorway. “Good morning.”

“Hi. Why are they being slow?”

She shrugged. “Not everyone cares about punctuality, the way I do.” She cocked her head. “Though you are early.”

They both shrugged. “We didn’t want to wait.”

“Well, welcome.” She took her seat. The rest filed in gradually. When Taeil sat next to Kun, Sunmi asked for their official report of the event. No one seemed to oppose the decision they had made, once Taeil explained that they had come into conflict over a young omega Jisung bonded to.

“So, what do you think is going to happen next week?” Sunmi sat back. “What are they going to try?”

“What do you think?” Taeil asked Kun. 

Kun had been thinking. “I think they’ll try to use us again. I don’t know exactly how, since we don’t have any more people they can hold hostage over us, but they’ve viewed us as chess pieces this entire time.”

“And why would that be?” Gunwoo shifted forward.

“What do you mean?”

Gunwoo waved at their side of the table. “I opposed this before you ever showed up. I kept my mouth shut on it at first because I trust my leaders, like you so graciously pointed out a while ago. But now we have the people who sent you here trying to use you against us, and I don’t know whether we can trust you at all.”

“Seriously?” Ten broke out. “Do you think we would be telling you that they want to use us against you if we actually intended to let that happen?”

“I don’t know whether to believe anything you say.”

“Excuse me.” Kun leaned onto the table. Gunwoo turned to him. It had to have been only the second or third time the man had ever looked at him. “You said yourself that I had a point about trusting this council. Don’t you think that if I had a point then, I might have a point now?”

“Maybe, but I’d still like some kind of proof that you’re not going to cave to them if we send you back.”

“Rescuing his cousin wasn’t enough for you?” Jaehyun asked. “We could have just done whatever they wanted then. Why would he bring Chenle back here and then turn around and spy for them?”

Gunwoo brought his hands together over the table. “I agree that you have a good point, but I still want to know if there’s any reason they actually think they can use you against us.”

Did the man really not understand? “Isn’t it obvious?” His voice came out smooth as silk. “We’re all four omegas who were considered outcast in our old pack. They considered us replaceable and thought, because of a confluence of social factors I’m trying to simplify for you, that they could just tell us to do something and they would do it.” He waved just as Gunwoo had. “That’s not the case. They have nothing we want. Would you like further proof? What do you want to know about Veteris?”

“What?”

“What do you want to know about Veteris? Between the four of us we know quite a lot about that pack. Would that satisfy you?”

Gunwoo sat back. “You know, I think it just might.”

Kun gave a toothy smile, just for him. “Let’s get started then.”

***

The second meeting approached much as the first had. Haejin sent a different wolf to guide them to the same house. There wasn’t any reason to leave it now that Chenle was safe at home, so they sat and strategized instead. Kun let Taeil soothe him and tried not to think about what might be coming. Again, they walked into the building that had housed the worst night of his life and tried to act civil. This time, they made it as far as sitting down. Taeil pulled out Kun’s seat for him. Kun took his hand to ground himself once Taeil sat down. 

“Well,” Taeil said when everyone was seated. “Let’s hope this meeting will be more productive.”

Haejin smirked. “Oh, I’m sure it will be. No interruptions this time, right?”

Kun shrugged. “We aren’t the ones who interrupted the last meeting, but that won’t happen this time, I’m sure.”

It was like he’d thrown cold water over the Veteris alphas. Several of them actually shook themselves. Haejin didn’t seem fazed.

“Now, I believe we left off last week with a discussion about our borders.”

Ten bristled. Kun couldn’t see through the table, but he was pretty sure Mark stepped on his foot, because Ten hunched and then sat back.

“And I believe,” Taeil started in a voice smooth as ice, “that I was telling you that our border does not need to be renegotiated before you attempted to blackmail us by holding my mate’s cousin hostage.”

It wasn’t the time, but the word “mate” almost made him blush. Kun tightened his grip on Taeil’s hand.

Haejin’s smile was just as horrible as it had been when he revealed Chenle, but Kun couldn’t fathom what Haejin thought he had in his pocket this time. “Blackmail is such a rude word, don’t you think?”

“Would you prefer coercion?” Taeil gripped Kun’s hand back just as tightly. “You held his cousin hostage so we would listen to whatever you wanted. I don’t know what else you think you can call that.”

He shrugged. “I would call it encouragement for one of my pack members to remember his duty.” He glanced at Kun’s neck. A chill went down Kun’s spine. “Funny you call him your mate, too. I don’t see a bite mark on his neck.” He looked at the others. “Or two of the others I sent you. You,” he waved at Ten with a small sneer, “you surprise me, though perhaps I shouldn’t be.”

“What are you implying?”

Haejin spread his hands. “All these months ago, I sent you omegas to take as mates. You haven’t done that, have you?” he slid a cold gaze over Kun’s neck again. “You like to talk about loopholes in our agreement, but even you can’t deny that it should be within my rights to govern wolves that are mine, particularly if you don’t really want them.”

Kun almost drew blood from the indentations he left on Taeil’s hand. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Haejin raised an eyebrow. “And I don’t remember anyone giving you leave to speak.”

Kun dropped Taeil’s hand to stand. “Alright, let’s get one thing clear first: you don’t own me, you don’t get to tell me when to speak or not speak. I don’t know how you ever thought you could, given how I was treated in this pack until you thought it would be a good idea to use me as a bargaining chip.”

Haejin looked at Taeil. Taeil grinned. “Oh, don’t look at me. You can’t have it both ways. Either he’s your wolf or he’s mine, and I enjoy listening to him talk.”

“Thank you.” Kun ran a hand down Taeil’s shoulder. “That’s your problem, though, that you think omegas can be told what to do and where to go. You really think you can tell me because I don’t have a bite mark on my neck I wasn’t really traded away like a little chess piece and you can take me back? Fuck that. I don’t care what your treaty says or doesn’t say—although,” he glanced at his Taeil “Does it?”

“It doesn’t mention anything of the kind,” Taeil sat back, a little smile on his face. “Though I would argue that sending members of a pack to another pack to be chosen as mates by their pack members, no matter how discriminatory that is, at least implies that those wolves are permanently members of the new pack.”

Kun shrugged. “Either way, I really don’t know how you think this is going to work.” He turned to the other council. “I remember what you told me before you sent us away. You wanted us to infiltrate another pack and influence their members in your favor. Do you really think, after the way you’ve treated us, we would do anything for you?”

“Do you think you were treated badly?” Haejin asked like he was actually curious. “You were given a home and work, which is more than I can say for others.”

Kun laughed with all the bitterness he still held for this town. “Is that all you think matters? You made me an outcast when I was still a child.” He waved at his friends. “All four of us, never mind all the others. Like the plague stuck to us after everyone died and it would infect everyone else we interacted with. You think that was good?”

He waved at Byunghun. “I don’t know what your problem is with me, but I never would have thought being the subject of a grudge from a council member to be a good thing. And you didn’t give me a home; you didn’t stop me from taking care of my grandmother, who already had a home. Or do you mean the room you stuffed me in after she was dead based on my presentation?”

Haejin stood, eyes flashing red. “I don’t appreciate the way you’re speaking to me.”

“Oh, no, how terrible.” Kun spread his hands like Haejin did whenever he wanted to show something like helplessness. “But that’s your problem. This whole town’s problem, really. You don’t like an omega talking back? Think about why. You set every presentation up with expectations that no person can live up to, and punish us all for being unable to meet them. I never saw any of the alpha orphans made into outcasts by the whole town.” He tapped his chest. “Me, my cousin, my friends? You didn’t care what any of them did, but us? As soon as we presented it was like the plague came back full force, like it made us useless to you.” Something had occurred to him during the last meeting with Neo. “How many people have left this pack since you sent us away?”

“What?”

“How many? It was practically taboo before, but as soon as you sent us away I’d just bet some people figured out that they didn’t have to stay here.” He tapped the table. “So, how many people have abandoned you? Is that why you’re pushing the border issue?”

“Shut up.”

“It is, isn’t it? Can’t you see that if you keep on like this, all your pack members have to do is leave you?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, you stupid omega.” 

“Of course.” Kun sat. “Call me whatever you like, but I’m right. You can’t play with me, either, because I won’t leave Taeil. Not that it’s any of your business, but bite mark or not he’s my mate and you can’t pull me or any of us away from here. Try something else.”

Haejin actually growled.

“I don’t think you will, actually.” Taeil didn’t stand, but he didn’t need to. That aura Kun had noticed from the first night they met rolled off him. He didn’t let his eyes go red as he stared Haejin down, down into his seat. “Let’s speak plainly. You want more land probably, as my lovely mate pointed out, to allow your pack a little more space and entice members back into this pack. I don’t think that’s very wise, but it’s not my business. You’ve done what you can to blackmail and intimidate us into giving you what you want after you couldn’t win it from us at war. You’ve failed.” The slightest growl deepened his voice. “You won’t get another chance. Leave it be, and we’ll leave you be. You have all the land you need. You won’t be getting more from us. We’ll leave you alone so long as you leave us alone. I don’t want war any more than I think you do, but if you keep pushing this, we will defend ourselves and we will win.” He stood. “Is that clear?”

Haejin’s growl rumbled deep in his chest, but he stood as well. “I suppose.”

“Good.” Taeil gave a cold smile. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about, or is this farce over?”

Haejin narrowed his eyes. “You’re very strange for an alpha?”

“Thank you. Are you done?”

Haejin tilted his head without dropping his gaze. “I suppose I am.”

“Good.” Taeil waved to the rest of his pack and gave Kun his hand to stand. “We can see ourselves out. Don’t worry, we didn’t leave anything in your guest house.”

Kun held tight to Taeil’s hand as they left. He waited until they were far clear of prying eyes and ears to lean to Taeil’s ear and whisper, “That was hot.”

Taeil actually blushed. “Shut up.”

“It was. I probably shouldn’t have enjoyed it so much, but I loved watching you back Haejin into his chair.”

Taeil whined, but let Kun tease him as they went home.

***

Apparently, the Neo pack celebrated things like truly ending conflict with other packs with parties. Also, apparently a party meant more food than regular dinners. Kun wasn’t much of a cook for food beyond a normal day’s meal, but he did quite enjoy watching Taeil try to teach Chenle how to bake a cake. Their first attempt ended with food all over Chenle’s face and not much of a cake, but it was cute. Kun managed to get his cousin cleaned up while Taeil made the cake they took to the party.

Chenle took the honor of carrying said cake seriously, until he saw Jisung wandering around the courtyard. Taeil rescued it just before Chenle ran off to surprise the other boy.

“They’re cute, aren’t they?”

“They are.” Kun hooked his arm through Taeil’s. “I give it a year, maximum, before Jisung actually asks to court him.”

“Cute.”

“Where do we take this cake?”

Someone had found more tables for the food. Perhaps they just kept tables hidden somewhere in case of parties? He could probably ask Sunmi. Kun wandered away from Taeil at the food table after he got into a debate about desserts with Johnny. Doyoung and Jaehyun had started out nearby, but abandoned their mate faster than Kun had. Kun would have to find Jaehyun later and make him explain the fresh bite marks on his neck.

Mark almost tackled Kun from the side. “Hi.”

“Hello there.” He laughed and hugged Mark back. “What are you so excited about?”

“We never used to have parties.” He wriggled in Kun’s grip. “It’s exciting.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

They chatted for a bit, until Donghyuck tackled the both of them again. He stole Mark away after hugging Kun for a solid minute. Kun kept on. He would have gone to say hello to Ten, but he had Taeyong pressed against a tree and Kun was not going to go anywhere near that. He ran into Jisung’s parents instead.

When Kun made his way back to the food table, Taeil and Johnny were both gone. Chenle and Jisung flashed by with Jeno, Donghyuck, and Jaemin chasing them, so at least part of his family was covered. He got enough food to feed himself, with a little extra in case Chenle came by hungry, and went hunting.

The usual eating tables had been pushed to the edges of the courtyard, and individual chairs scattered around the center in case anyone wanted to sit. Taeil and Johnny had apparently found a table to claim for their group, but Taeil sat in a chair just next to it. He had his own plate, which was good. Kun made sure to set both plates on the table before dropping into Taeil’s lap. “There you are.”

“Here I am?” Taeil seemed bemused. “You’re the one who left me, shouldn’t I be the one saying that?”

Kun shrugged. “Here I am, then?”

Taeil kissed him instead of answering. Kun melted into it, wrapping his arms around Taeil’s neck. They only stopped when Johnny whistled. Kun stuck his tongue out at him.

Johnny shrugged. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”

“Sure.” Kun rolled his eyes, but Taeil distracted him pretty quickly with hands smoothing down his back. That reminded him—Chenle was still off playing, so he had an opportunity. Kun settled further into Taeil’s lap and set his head on Taeil’s shoulder.

“So, I had a talk with Jisung’s parents while I was looking for you,” he whispered.

“Okay?”

“And they said Chenle could come stay at their house for the night whenever we want a free night.”

Taeil shifted. “Okay?”

“And I was thinking.” Kun nosed over Taeil’s neck. “That we’d need privacy for exchanging bites.”

Taeil almost threw them both out of the chair before he appeared to remember they were in public. “Are you saying …”

“I’m saying that I love you,” he leaned up to kiss Taeil’s gaping mouth, “and I want to be your mate in more than just words.”

Taeil yanked him up to kiss him deeply. Kun put his hands on Taeil’s jaw and gave as good as he got. They toned it down when the kids showed up, but Kun didn’t let Taeil move out of reach until long after the party was over. He intended to enjoy his celebration and his new life under the new moon.


End file.
